152 THE RETROSPECT OF THE YEAR. 



We are pleased to be able to state that an increased in- 

 terest has been manifested during the past year in the 

 Library. The valuable and oftentimes rare works of refer- 

 ence which it contains have been oftener consulted, ow- 

 ing in a large measure, no doubt, to the better opportunity 

 for so doing, which our increased facilities offer. 



The Institute regards with unalloyed satisfaction the 

 opening of a Free Public Library in Salem. The two in- 

 stitutions should supplement each other and thus each will 

 be better able to serve the public, because of the existence 

 of the other. The Institute will be able to pursue its 

 special line of work without being called upon to cater 

 to the popular demand for current literature ; and the Pub- 

 lic Library will not be obliged to spend large sums to du- 

 plicate works of reference in certain lines, vVhich are 

 always accessible at the Institute. A complete card cata- 

 logue has been made of the Art Library both by title and 

 author, and a beginning has been made in preparing such 

 a catalogue for the China Library. It is hoped that a 

 complete catalogue of each room may in this way be made 

 as the basis of a general and complete catalogue of the 

 whole library. 



Four assistants are now employed in the work of the 

 Library. It is to be regretted that the efficient and capa- 

 ble assistant librarian, Miss Roberts, has been able, owing 

 to ill health, to give but a small portion of her time to the 

 Library, and this has somewhat delayed our progress in 

 the matter of forwarding the cataloguing. We hope, dur- 

 ing the coming year to exhibit more satisfactory results, 

 in this respect. 



The department of sociology still remains in Plummer 

 Hall, as does also the larger part of the collection of pam- 

 phlets and most of the newspapers, except those of Essex 

 County. This department has been largely increased dur- 

 ing the past, year. 



