THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 145 



ninnt3'-eight societies and governmental dopartinonts. The 

 exchanges from eleven individuals and one hundred and 

 seventy-four societies and incorporated institutions, of 

 which ninety-one are foreign ; also from editors and pub- 

 lishers. 



The largest donation has been that of Dr. Wheatland's 

 scientific library numbering over four hundred volumes. 



The set of Littell's Living Age is now complete to Au- 

 gust, 1891, and the set of Scribner's Monthly lacks only 

 three numbers. 



The librarian in presenting these statistics congratulates 

 the members of the Essex Institute on the growing value 

 of the library in all its reference departments. The Pub- 

 lic Library and Athen^um furnish the popuhir books for 

 general circulation, while the Institute aims to build up 

 a large and valuable reference library. Here should be 

 found the many books of little interest to the casual reader, 

 but sometimes of inestimal)le value in the prosecution of 

 certain lines of study and research. The pleasant rooms 

 of the Institute are always open to students and investiga- 

 tors in any branch of literature or science, as well as to 

 the general reader, and every assistance is given them in 

 the prosecution of their work. So far as possible the books 

 are arranged in the different rooms by subject, but there 

 is great need of a catalogue or finding list so that it can be 

 readily ascertained what books are in the library relating to 

 any special subject. Some work has been done in this 

 direction but the lack of funds prevents its being pushed 

 forward as rapidly as it should be. 



The growth of the library brings each year more sharply 

 to our attention the need of additional room for the stor- 

 age of books. This want will have to be met in some 

 way in the near future and all action should be taken with 

 this end in view. 



ESSEX INST. BULLETIN, VOL. XXIV 19 



