248 



National Resources Committee 



Arts. The classifications of the Law Library and of 

 the Periodical Division have not been reduced to nota- 

 tion. The collections of the Division of Manuscripts 

 are classified only by type of collection. The prints of 

 the Division of P'ine Arts are arranged by (1) school, 

 (2) {period, and (3) artist. The Chinese collections 



are arranged according to the method known as the 

 Ssu k'u ch'u iian which divides the material into four 

 groups according with four great divisions of knowl- 

 edge. Maps are arranged topographically, with a final 

 chronological order. Semitica are arranged alphabet- 

 ically only within large major divisions. 



m. THE EXPOSITION OF THE COLLECTIONS: INTERPRETATION AND SERVICE 



The service interpretative of the collections may be 

 considered as expressed (1) directly through the activi- 

 ties of the staff in behalf of seekers of information; 

 (2) by publications which render such information 

 independent of the presence of the staff; (3) by activi- 

 ties wlucli are undertaken in the interest of libraries 

 generally; (4) by other special services to libraries and 

 to investigators; and (5) by actual projects of investi- 

 gation or research undertaken under the auspices of 

 the Library. 



The Staff 



The General Reference Services 



The usual aids to the investigator in locating his 

 material, in using the apparatus, and in determining 

 questions which involve bibliographic reference are 

 secured both as to the general and the special collec- 

 tions by staffs selected and trained for that purpose. 



Chief Reference Librarian. — The Chief Reference 

 Librarian coordinates the handling of reference ques- 

 tions, reviews the findings of the various divisions of 

 the service, and directs the conduct of special refer- 

 ence problems. 



Main Reading Room. — The Main Reading Room is 

 responsible for the issue of books from the general 

 collections and for the disposition of usual questions 

 of reference, whether made by the inquirer in person, 

 or by letter. (1,070,471 books were issued in the read- 

 ing room during the year 1936-37 ; 3,267 answers were 

 prepared to letters of inquiry.) 



Rare Book Room. — The Rare Book Room is respon- 

 sible for the issue of the books in its custody, includ- 

 ing the collections of incunabida and broadsides, and 

 of certain other collections, including the Collections 

 of John Boyd Thacher in the Library of Congress, the 

 Houdini and Toner Collections, and the Delta Collec- 

 tion. It is responsible for reference in connection with 

 these collections and for answering bibliographical in- 

 quiries made in person or by mail regarding rare books. 



Study Room Referenc^e. — The Study Room Refer- 

 ence Service has responsibility for the general reference 

 service to investigators to whom are assigned study 

 rooms and study tables. The use of the collections by 

 this group of workers may be measured by the issuance 

 to them for use at their desks, from the general col- 



lections of the Main Reatling Room, of 239,794 volumes 

 during 1937. Closely allied with this service is that 

 i-endered by the consultants who are available to the 

 more advanced investigators. 



Division of Bibliography. — The Division of Bibliog- 

 laphy has responsibility for the conduct of reference 

 problems and the solution of bibliographic questions 

 involving a greater expenditure of time than is possible 

 to other branches of the service, and for the prepara- 

 tion of lists. During 1937 2,875 informational memo- 

 randa were prepared in answer to requests from Mem- 

 bers of Congress, from the executive branch of the 

 Government and from individuals in practically every 

 State of the Union and 28 foreign countries. Seven- 

 teen mimeographed and 27 typewritten lists totaling 

 831 pages were prepared. The more important of these 

 are noticed in the Bulletin of the Public Affairs In- 

 formation Service. 



Division of Accessimis. — The Division of Accessions 

 maintains a card catalog in which are noted all of the 

 data regarding every book and pamphlet received from 

 the sources indicated, which proves a valuable supple- 

 ment to the other official catalogs of the Library in 

 providing imjjortant bibliographical information. To 

 this Division, also, due to its special concern with the 

 subject, are referred all inquiries and inquirers regard- 

 ing the prices or market values of books. 



Other Divisions. — Each of the several divisions 

 (Aeronautics, Documents, Fine Arts, Law, Manu- 

 scripts, Maps, Music, Orient alia. Periodicals, Semitic, 

 Slavic, Smithsonian, Union Catalog) dealing in spe- 

 cialized material has its own reference staff. Special 

 features in connection with the organization or serv- 

 ice of certain of these will be described below. 



Special Reference Service for 

 Members of Congress 



The service to the individual Members of Congress 

 and to its committees has of course first claim upon the 

 attention of its Library, and each Division of the Li- 

 brary is organized to attain that end. Certain special 

 features of this organization deserve attention. 



Main Reading Room. — The Congressional Unit in the 

 Main Reading Room is charged with the general issue 

 of books and with general reference work especially in 

 response to telephonic requests from Members of Con- 



