LIBRARY CATALOGUE. 



EEPOKT OF LIBRARIAK 



Mabisok, December 29, 1881. 

 To the President of the Wisconsin AcacLemij: 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the state of the 

 library of the "Wisconsin Academy of Sciences at date. 



Having been left in charge of the library during the absence of Dr. Birge 

 In Europe, it has fallen to me as clerk of the Academy to prepare a list of the 

 additions to the library since the publication of Yol. IV. 



Vol, IV contains a catalogue of the library, but owing to the increase of 

 the library and to the errors, omissions and other faults of this catalogue 

 naturally accompanying a first attempt to bring order out of the chaos of 

 publication in various languages which had accumulated, it was not found 

 a practical guide to the librarian in the distribution of our own publications. 



Moreover, many publications had made their way upon the shelves without 

 the knowledge of the librarian, so it became necessary to recatalogue the 

 library. In connection with this work, the publications themselves have 

 been classified and arranged so far as our limited accommodations would 

 admit. 



The use of the catalogue to the librarian has been made the primary aim 

 In its preparation. For this reason there remain considerable possibilities 

 of improvement in other directions; but to have made these would have re- 

 quired more labor than could profitably be expended at this time. When 

 the library s ball have grown to be the repository of the leading scientific 

 memories of contemporary progress, and our specialists who are able to read 

 all the modern European languages, more numerous, then a catalogue which 

 can be used as a subject-index, will be in order. 



That the library may increase healthily, it is essential that the librarian or 

 his clerk, first, receive all the gifts sent to the Academy ; secondly, that he 

 keep & journal of such donations; and thirdly, that he acknowledge their re- 

 ceipt. These three points really govern the methods which may be used by 

 the acting librarian, the importance of which can be fully appreciated only 

 by one who has attempted to fulfil the duties of this ofiice. These points 

 have been neglected in a measure and the consequences have been threefold. 

 First, we receive but one-half as much matter as could be received ; secondly, 

 many parts which have been sent us are not now upon our shelves. Wherever 

 I could obtain direct knowledge of such fact, the catalogue has been made 

 to include such parts, out of simple justice to the donors. It may be taken 



