44 EEPOET OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



umes and pamphlets aud 339 parts of serials, kept in various rooms on 

 the south balcony and on shelves on the balcony. 



Textiles and foods. — Owing to the temporary absence of the curator 

 and the inability of the assistant left in charge to take proper care of 

 the books in this library, they have been recalled to the central library. 

 On the return of the curator this sectional library will be reorganized. 



It seems undesirable, and, indeed, hardly practicable to endeavor to 

 enforce the regulation which requires that books belonging to a sec- 

 tional library shall be kept separate from all other books. The books 

 in a specialist's library are naturally arranged according to subjects, 

 which necessarily brings together books belonging to the sectional 

 library, the Library of Congress, and even the author himself. 



Binding. — One hundred volumes belonging to the Museum were sent 

 to the Government Bindery late in the year and were all returned on or 

 before June 29. Considerable progress has been made in putting the 

 pamphlets into suitable covers ; but this work has been partially sus- 

 pended on account of the exhaustion of the appropriation for the pur- 

 chase of these covers. 



Progress has also been made in arranging the pamphlets in the 

 pamphlet boxes mentioned in my last report, but this work has neces- 

 sarily been slow, since the routine work, as will be seen from the very 

 large number of books issued, returned, and catalogued, has occupied 

 nearly all the time of the two employes in the library. 



TEANSPORTATION AND STORAGE. 



DISTRIBUTION OF DUPLICATES, AND EXCHANGES. 



The total number of boxes, packages, barrels, tanks, etc., received 

 during the year was 12,400, of which 1,911 contained material for the 

 Museum collections, the remainder of the number being distributed to 

 their proper addresses. 



The registrar, Mr. S. C. Brown, has continued to act as transportation 

 clerk for the Smithsonian Institution, thus adding much routine work 

 to his duties as registrar. 



During the year 405 packages were entered upon the Storage record 

 of the Museum. The storing of material is of very great convenience to 

 the curators, who may not at the time of the arrival of the material for 

 their department be able to work up the collection at once. 



The number of packages sent out was 2,042, and of this number -264 

 contained Museum material sent out as gifts, loans, or in exchange. Pho- 

 tographs of cases and exhibits in the Museum have been sent to all who 

 made application. Much labor was added to the work of this depart- 

 ment in connection with the shipment of exhibits to the Ohio Valley 

 Centennial Exposition. These filled twelve cars and consisted of five 

 hundred and ninety-six packages, weighing in the aggregate 125,000 

 pounds.* 



*A full account of the participation of the Smithsonian Institution in this exposi- 

 tion will be published in the report for 1888-89. 



