114 



compared with the record on the blank to see if it be cor- 

 rect ; next, for the same pm-pose, with the letter from the 

 Academy that sends it, and an acknowledgment in full made 

 to the Academy for it, and a record of the acknowle'dgment 

 taken ; then entered on the Record of Publications received 

 in exchange, with all the necessary dates and memoranda; 

 next on the Library Accession Catalogue and indexed for 

 ready reference ; after this the title page in full written upon 

 a card with all the necessary cross-references upon other 

 cards; stamped with the Society's name, the book-plate 

 affixed and its blanks filled out, the Library Regulations fis- 

 tened upon the cover and its place in the Library marked in 

 one corner, it is at last ready for the shelves or tables of the 

 Library ; all these points are absolutely essential ; the time now 

 occupied in taking care of the books w^hich are presented 

 to the Library consumes an average of over two, and per- 

 haps three, hours a day. When we call to mind the yearly 

 increasing influx of books to the Library, it must be appar- 

 ent to all that where the Librarian holds other offices 

 requiring much time in their fulfilment, a regular assist- 

 ant becomes indispensable, especially when so much remains 

 to be done to put the Library already in our hands in proper 

 order. 



Other expenditures may be referred to, which it is highly 

 desirable should be made upon the Library. There is a 

 multitude of unbound parts of volumes which are ready for 

 the binder's hands, and the number of loose pamphlets is 

 rapidly increasing, and now numbers over 2,000. These 

 ought to be bound separately in a cheap way, on the plan 

 used in the other Boston Libraries, so that persons wishing 

 to take away a pamphlet need not be compelled to transport 

 a thick volume ; the new plan is scarcely more expensive 

 than the old. 



The dust which is blown in at the sides of our loose win- 

 dows, and will continue to be blown in, especially while so 

 much of the ground about us is unoccupied as at present, is 

 injuring the books to an unfortunate degree. Weather-strips 

 it is beUevcd would remedy the trouble in great measure, 



