NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD BENNETT 39 



The Director's diary records an interview with a Navy representa- 

 tive who came in to ask about motion picture fihiis for area instruc- 

 tion. The Director agreed to locate and evaluate practically anything 

 that was wanted but added that he was not interested in making more 

 lists such as everybody else was doing. 



Bibliography 



As an important part of its information service the Board supplied 

 the agencies with bibliographical references, and often the books 

 themselves, either upon direct request or as supplementary material 

 to a report. Henry B. Collins, Jr., present Director of the Board, 

 and formerly Assistant Director, was in charge of all "research" 

 activities, including the bibliographical. A basic area bibliography 

 resulted from his personal survey of the resources of the Library of 

 Congress, the Smithsonian Library, and the Library of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Like the roster, the bibliography was directed 

 toward immediate needs rather than completeness. Additional ref- 

 erences were sought in terms of specific requests. Since the bibliog- 

 raphy followed the area pattern, geographic references were most 

 frequent. Each item was evaluated in terms of maps, illustrations, 

 and type content. 



The bibliography was not arranged in any formal card catalog. 

 Some of the references of general interest were included in a mimeo- 

 graphed report entitled "Area (and Language) Notes" and distrib- 

 uted to the universities with area study programs. It is possible that 

 more of the bibliography might be worth organizing for a permanent 

 record. 



Reference Library 



The Washington office was in the building that houses the splendid 

 Smithsonian Library, so the Board did not have to accumulate many 

 books of its own. Standard biographical references, and books of a 

 general nature on important regions, particularly ones with good bib- 

 liographies, were purchased, and some Government documents, both 

 published and mimeographed, were acquired. All these books were 

 acquired for their usefulness and convenience, but there was no in- 

 tent of building up a specialized library. 



Survival Library 



From its inception, the Board took a special interest in survival 

 literature. The staff's ethnologists were particularly irked by re- 



