USE OF LIBRARY. 41 



sets being filled in as rapidly as funds become available. It has 

 been the policy of the library to secure complete sets of journals in 

 as many instances as possible in order that records of the history 

 and development of scientific research may be available for reference 

 by the investigators and for the routine work of the Bureau. The 

 latest editions of scientific books and manuals have also been added, 

 covering the work of the various divisions of the laboratory, and 

 the list of dictionaries and general reference books includes English. 

 German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Latin, and Greek 

 dictionaries; the Index Medicus, complete; the Index Catalogue of 

 the Surgeon-GeneraPs Library (Washington, D. C.), complete; 

 Gould's Medical Dictionary and Encyclopedia; United States 

 Dispensatory; Lippincott's Pronouncing Gazetteer; Folk's Medical 

 Directory; Minerva; Roget's Thesaurus; International Catalogue 

 of Scientific Literature; Reference Handbook of the Medical 

 Sciences, etc. 



The librafy has been augmented by the transfer of a number of 

 books from other Bureaus. With the transfer of the Government 

 botanist from the Bureau of Agriculture and the Bureau of 

 Forestry to the Bureau of Government Laboratories a valuable col- 

 lection of botanical books was added to the library. The Board of 

 Health also added a number of volumes when the serum labo- 

 ratory was transferred to this Bureau. For account of further 

 transfers, see "Organization of a central scientific library" and 

 "Supplemental list." 



USE OF THE LIBRARY. 



The legislation establishing the library as a part of the Bureau 

 of Government Laboratories specified that it should be a reference 

 library, and from the beginning the books have been on open shelves 

 accessible for consultation by visitors. Lists of daily accessions 

 have been available for reference, and as rapidly as possible shelf 

 list and other helps in locating books on the shelves are being 

 prepared. There is now adequate table room for readers, and 

 attendants will furnish any book in the library on request. 



As the work became better known it was found that there was 

 a growing demand for books to be taken from the library, and at 

 the beginning of the year 1904 arrangements were completed by 

 which all persons employed in the various Departments of the Civil 



