1888. | NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 133 
THE LIBRARIAN’S REPORT. 
The Library of the Academy has been shelved during the 
past year on the walls of the Herbarium Room of Columbia 
College, where it was placed in September, 1886. It is quite 
isolated from the main college library, the only other books in 
the room being those belonging to the college herbarium. It is 
open for consultation from eight o’clock in the morning until 
ten in the evening. 
There have been added during the year by exchange and 
donation, 1,388 volumes, parts, and pamphlets. 
Under the arrangement made between the Academy and the 
Trustees of Columbia College, all books received since the de- 
position of the library in its present quarters have been promptly 
bound. This statement applies as well to volumes only in part 
published at that time. In all 154 volumes have been bound 
at an expense to the college of $167.93. 
The books have been roughly classified on the shelves, under 
subjects, preliminary to the preparation of a new card catalogue. 
The Librarian feels it his duty to refer in this connection to 
the large number of unbound volumes which cannot be bound 
under the agreement made with Columbia College. At an ap- 
proximate estimate there are not less than 800 volumes which 
need binding; and some provision for the expense of this work 
should be made in the near future. Unbound books in a public 
library rapidly suffer deterioration, even when used, as in the 
case of our library, as mere works of reference. 
By appointment of the Council, the Corresponding Secretary 
and the Librarian were made a committee to cause certain back 
volumes and parts of the Academy’s publications to be dis- 
tributed in exchange to other societies and institutions. The 
greater part of the correspondence necessary in carrying out 
this task has fallen to the Corresponding Secretary ; the Librarian 
has personally superintended the formation of packages, and a 
large amount of surplus material has thus been disposed of to 
good advantage. The remaining volumes and parts have been 
carefully wrapped, labelled, and an exact list of them prepared, 
giving us an inventory of stock in hand. It will doubtless be 
necessary to reprint certain pages of Annals and Transactions in 
order to supply future demands. 
N. L. Brirron, 
Librarian. 
The chairman of the Publication Committee, Pror. D. 8. 
MARTIN, made an informal verbal report. 
