42 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1920. 



LIBRARY. 



While there were no exceptional pieces contributed to the library, 

 there was a collection of special importance — the personal library 

 of Dr. Charles D. TValcott. The intimate connection of Dr. Wal- 

 cott with the paleontological collections of the Museum as head 

 of that division and later as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, makes the sectional libraries of vertebrate and invertebrate 

 paleontology of the Museum difficult of duplication. The interest 

 of Dr. TV. H. Dall in books for the sectional library of mollusks 

 has continued, the number of titles added being 310. Valuable 

 material has been contributed also by Maj. Gen. John R. Brooke. 

 1". S. Army, Dr. A. G. B0ving, Dr. F. H. Knowlton, Dr. J. M. 

 Aldrich, Dr. TV. H. Holmes, Mr. W. R. Maxon. Dr. O. P. Hay. Dr. 

 Mary J. Kathbun, Dr. C. TV: Richmond, Mr. William Schans, Mr. 

 A. H. Clark, Dr. Walter Hough, Mr. A. X. Caudell, and the late 

 Frederick Knab. 



Owing to the increased cost of binding, the library's funds allotted 

 for that purpose were exhausted in January, and it has been pos- 

 sible to send to the Government bindery only 737 books, as com- 

 pared with 1,322 for the previous fiscal year and 1,706 for the year 

 preceding. With a constantly increasing supply of volumes, and 

 many remaining still unbound, an increased allotment is needed, 

 in order that the important and valuable series in the Museum may 

 be properly preserved. 



The increment, largely obtained through gift and exchange, 

 amounted to 3,513 volumes, including 1,932 completed volumes and 

 1,581 pamphlets. There are now in the Library 145,307 books, of 

 which 56,617 are bound volumes and 88,690 pamphlets and unbound 

 papers. 



MEETINGS AND CONGRESSES. 



The auditorium and committee rooms of the Museum were utilized, 

 as usual, for meetings and lectures by Governmental, scientific and 

 other educational organizations. 



The U. S. Department of Agriculture availed itself freely of the 

 facilities. The Department held a meeting of fertilizer manufac- 

 turers in rooms 42-3 on October 6 and 7, 1919, in connection with 

 an investigation of fertilizer prices. States Relations Service had 

 the use of the auditorium on several forenoons, — on October 6 for a 

 meeting of the employees of that Service, at which Dr. A. C. True 

 spoke of the Service's activities; on November 20, for showing a 

 series of motion pictures; on February 3, 1920, for showing a series 

 of slides and a reel relating to its activities, and again on March 30, 

 for a meeting of its employees. The Service also occupied rooms 



