262 ANNUAL REPORT SinTHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 64 



National Agricultural Libraiy, 1,406 pieces. A combined total of 

 191,102 pieces of material was handled by the section. 



CATALOGING AND BINDING 



The catalog section cataloged 10,574 volumes, recataloged 205 items, 

 transferred 750 publications, discarded 138 volumes, recorded 35,042 

 serials in the Serial Record, and filed 34,718 cards into the card 

 catalogs. In addition, 478 trade catalogs were added to the collection. 



The binding unit prepared 5,175 books and journals for binding by 

 a commercial binder. The hand-binding staff preserved 1,859 pub- 

 lications which were fragile or too valuable to be sent outside the 

 Institution for repair. 



REFERENCE AND CIRCULATION 



The reference librarians answered 38,453 requests for specific types 

 of information, replied to 3,459 pieces of correspondence, circulated 

 40,409 books and journals, and cleared the loan records on 30,277 

 volumes. No record is kept of the circulation and use of the publica- 

 tions assigned to the divisional libraries where they circulate freely 

 within the division. Publications borrowed from other libraries, 

 chiefly the Library of Congress, numbered 4,777, and 1,309 volumes 

 were lent. Xerox copies of many articles were supplied in lieu of 

 loaning the old, fragile, or heavily used publications. The reading 

 and reference facilities were used by 29,146 persons. 



BRANCH LIBRARIES 



The branch library for the Museum of History and Technology 

 answered 12,496 reference questions, circulated 13,588 books and jour- 

 nals, and added 478 trade catalogs to the collection. Persons using 

 the reading and reference areas numbered 5,149. This library was 

 moved from the Arts and Industries Building to the new Museum 

 of History and Technology Building in February. 



The Bureau of American Ethnology branch library answered 697 

 reference questions, circulated 924 books and journals, and provided 

 assistance to 774 patrons. Mrs. Carol Jopling, librarian, resigned in 

 October. 



The branch library for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, 

 Cambridge, Mass., answered 3,135 reference requests, circulated 2,045 

 books and journals, and provided library services for 7,577 users. 



The department of entomology branch library answered 996 refer- 

 ence requests, circulated 985 books and journals, and 1,571 patrons 

 used the library facilities. 



