90 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1918. 



Library of Congress were considered, and 168 volumes and 389 parts 

 of volumes were secured. Ninety-eight wants were completed. Ac- 

 tion on the 85 want cards received from the periodical division re- 

 sulted in the securing of eight volumes and 240 parts of volumes. The 

 order division obtained, in response to 19 cards, 19 volumes and 18 

 parts of volumes. The total number of wants completed was 142. 



Office reference library. — The accessions for the office library, which 

 includes the Astrophysical Observatory and the National Zoological 

 Park, amounted to 555 publications, distributed as follows: Office 

 library, 278 volumes and 164 pamphlets ; Astrophysical Observatory, 

 58 volumes and 49 pamphlets and parts of volumes; National Zoolog- 

 ical Park, 91 volumes and 1 pamphlet. 



Aeronautical library. — The importance and value of books relating 

 to aeronautics has been manifested through their use by the student 

 who has returned day after day to follow up a subject. There have 

 been added during the year 128 volumes. The bibliography of aero- 

 nautics, which I have had in preparation for the National Advisory 

 Committee for Aeronautics, has been completed and, with the close 

 of the year, it is ready for the printer. The appropriation for print- 

 ing was approved just at the close of the year. 



Reading room. — The frequent use of the reading room is especially 

 worthy of note. There were in circulation 3,520 periodicals, an in- 

 crease of 153 over the year preceding. 



During the summer months the use of the library was extended 

 to the soldiers who drill each day on the Mall. Adequate facilities 

 for letter writing were provided, and the room has been filled with 

 soldiers daily during their rest periods. 



Employees' library. — The number of volumes circulated in the 

 employees' library has increased to 336. There has been practically 

 no addition to the number of volumes, as the greater portion of the 

 reading wants of employees can be supplied through the reading 

 room and the war library of the Museum. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM LIBRARY. 



There has been one exceptional and important addition to the 

 library of the United States National Museum, and that is a part 

 of the botanical and horticultural publications brought together by 

 the late Mr. George W. Vanderbilt on his estate at Biltmore, N. C. 

 This collection formed the working library of the Biltmore Herbar- 

 ium and was presented by Mrs. Vanderbilt. In 1916 the building 

 on the Biltmore estate was inundated by a local flood which destroyed 

 the larger part of the library, but fortunately many valuable vol- 

 umes were saved. Some of these are distinct editions of works not 

 heretofore available. 



