REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 95 



libraries of the Museum. A number of books on art belonging to the 

 Marsh collection were placed at the main entrance to the Smithsonian 

 building in conjunction with the newly installed exhibition series 

 illustrating the various activities of the Institution. 



EMPLOYEES' LIBRARY. 



The total number of loans from this collection made during the 

 year amounted to 1,800. Two hundred and twelve volumes of peri- 

 odicals were bound and made available for circulation. A number of 

 books, especially selected for the purpose, were sent to the National 

 Zoological Park, as in previous years. Only one book was pur- 

 chased and one received as a donation. 



At the time at which this collection of books was established the 

 facilities for obtaining reading matter of general interest were quite 

 limited, but with the opening of the Washington Public Library they 

 were very greatly increased. In view of the large number of books 

 in all branches of literature which are now available for readers, it 

 does .not appear necessary to expend money in extending this special 

 collection. 



LIBRARIES OF THE GOVERNMENT BRANCHES. 



United States National Museum. — In previous reports reference 

 has been made to the congested condition of the library of the Na- 

 tional Museum. This was partly relieved in 1911 by separating out 

 duplicates, for which work temporary assistants were emploj^ed for 

 several months. The library still remained somewhat in confusion, 

 however, owing to the necessity of moving various sections from 

 time to time to make room for new accessions. These accessions 

 arrived more rapidly than they could be disposed of, and accumu- 

 lated in unassorted piles. The library also suffered greatly from 

 dust. 



Owing to the necessity of exercising rigid economy in the adminis- 

 tration of the Museum library, the present force is scarcely able to do 

 more than keep pace with the current routine work, which consists 

 of registering accessions, entering current numbers of periodicals 

 and transactions of scientific societies in the card-catalogue, classify- 

 ing new accessions in accordance with the Dewey decimal system, 

 attending to the wants of the readers and those entitled to borrow 

 books, keeping the records of loans, and conducting the necessary 

 correspondence. The very important task of placing books returned 

 by borrowers, or new accessions, on the shelves is performed by the 

 messenger, tlie classifier, or others, as they have opportunity. The 

 preparation of books for binding, which requires special care, is 

 attended to by the assistant librarian of the Museum in the intervals 

 of other business. 



