20 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1913. 



In the new building of the National Museum four rooms on the 

 ground floor have been provided with steel book stacks and library 

 appliances of the latest design. To these rooms have been transferred 

 works needed in connection with natural history studies, while books 

 relating chiefly to the arts and industries and to American history are 

 retained in the older Museum building, where the collections of those 

 classes remain on exhibition. 



ARCHIVES. 



During the year some attention was given to improving conditions 

 in the archive room of the Institution, which was very badly over- 

 crowded. This room, on the fourth floor of the Smithsonian building, 

 was thoroughly overhauled and much accumulated material not re- 

 lating directly to the history of the Institution was removed to other 

 quarters. The set of Smithsonian publications formerly preserved 

 in this room was temporarily removed to the office of the assistant 

 secretary in charge of library and exchanges, thus making space for 

 manuscript material of importance. Two large wooden cases con- 

 taining papers relating to the internal affairs of the Institution and 

 its branches, together with other documents, were replaced by metal 

 cases containing drawers equipped with uniform cardboard recep- 

 tacles for papers, and alphabetical guide cards. It was not found 

 possible, however, to complete the transfer of the papers to these 

 receptacles during the year. 



The wooden panels in the doors of the wall cases in the room were 

 removed and replaced by glass, so that it is possible to see .the con- 

 tents of the cases without opening them. A case was provided for 

 maps, plans, charts, and other large objects. 



Cases were placed in an adjoining room for the reception of dupli- 

 cate vouchers and other financial papers of the several branches of the 

 Institution. 



The large quantity of Schoolcraft papers at present in the custody 

 of the Institution were transferred to uniform file boxes and placed 

 on shelves. These papers are only partially classified. 



The archives are now completely accessible, although a large 

 amount of work is still required to put them into thoroughly satis- 

 factory condition. The principal improvements needed are a com- 

 plete card catalogue of the several classes of papers contained in 

 the room, with indications of the location of each, and a uniform 

 card index of the contents of the bound volumes of official letters, 

 both originals and press copies. A reclassification of a considerable 

 portion of the other archives is also desirable, as well as the comple- 

 tion of the work of transferring papers to the new cases mentioned 

 above. 



