REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 15 



Committee on 'printing and publication. — The function of the 

 Smithsonian advisory committee on printing and publication is to 

 make recommendations to the secretary regarding the technical merit 

 and suitability of all manuscripts submitted for publication by the 

 Smithsonian Institution or its branches, and also to consider all 

 other matters relating to printing and binding under the institution. 

 During the past year seven meetings were held and 104 manuscripts 

 acted upon. The membership of the committee is as follows: Dr. 

 Leonhard Stejneger, head curator of biology, National Museum, 

 chairman ; Dr. George P. Merrill, head curator of geology, National 

 Museum; Dr. J. Walter Fewkes, chief, Bureau of American Eth- 

 nology ; Mr. N. Hollister, superintendent, National Zoological Park ; 

 and Mr. W. P. True, editor of the Smithsonian Institution, secre- 

 tary. 



LIBRARY 



Much has been accomplished during the year toward better 

 library service. The number of publications loaned during the year 

 reached a total of 12,076, and fully as many were consulted without 

 being taken out. A list has been prepared each day of the principal 

 contents of scientific and technical periodicals received for the Smith- 

 sonian Deposit at the Library of Congress, and copies are circulated 

 among the heads of scientific bureaus under the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution. The subject catalogue of the Museum library has been 

 increased by 4,400 cards, and progress has been made in the arrange- 

 ment of cards of the Concilium Bibliographicum, received since the 

 close of the war. 



The third volume of the " Bibliography of Aeronautics," covering 

 the years 1917 to 1919, inclusive, compiled by the assistant librarian 

 of the Smithsonian Institution, Mr. Paul Brockett, was issued dur- 

 ing the year by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. 



Of the 10,938 volumes and other publications added to the library, 

 5,719 were for the Smithsonian Deposit at the Library of Congress, 

 4,285 for the National Museum, and the others for the remaining 

 libraries administered under the Smithsonian Institution. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM 



While without increased financial resources it has been impossible 

 for the Museum during the year to increase the scope of its exhibits 

 and of their usefulness to the public, nevertheless much has been 

 accomplished along the lines of filling in gaps in existing collections 

 and of increasing their value through classification and arrangement. 

 The Museum has been fortunate in being able to keep together most 

 of its scientific staff. In many cases this has been possible only 

 because of the devotion of the persons and their willingness to accept 



