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REPORT OF THE ACTING LIBRARIAN. 
To THE DirREcTOR-IN-CHIEF, 
Dear Sir: 1 beg to submit the following report on the 
library during the period ending January 1, 1900: 
Since the assumption of my duties in connection with the 
library, July 1, 1899, Mr. Nash having had general charge of 
the books during the first half of the year, attention has been 
chiefly directed to completing the files of agricultural and 
horticultural publications. This was done chiefly by ex- 
change, though many important donations have been made. 
A. printed list of the desiderata and duplicates was used to 
great advantage in the correspondence upon such matters. 
Perhaps the most notable donation in the way of books is 
that of the New York Hospital, embracing the botanical 
library of the late Dr. Hosack, containing about 205 volumes, 
the majority of which are extremely valuable and many are 
quite rare. The total list of accessions is given below. 
A design for a book plate by Robert W. Gibson, architect, 
has been accepted by the Board of Managers, and suitable 
dies from the same have been prepared. The work of past- 
ing the copies of the plate in the books was begun early in 
December and is nearly completed. 
The library of the Garden was moved from the temporary 
office on Suburban Street to the physiological dark room in 
the museum, August 15th, and was placed on the shelves in 
the stack room, December 6th. The botanical books of Co- 
lumbia University are now deposited in the stack room in 
accordance with the agreement between the two institutions. 
The transportation of these books was begun December 20th 
and practically completed December 28th, 1899. 
