54 Report of the President 



Twelve of the branch libraries of New York City have 



availed themselves, during the year, of the opportunity to 



borrow the circulating loan collections prepared 



¥ h u'lV- Loan f or the children's rooms by the Museum. Sev- 

 Exhibitions J .. 



eral departments of the Museum have cooperated 

 in the making up of the collections, the Department of An- 

 thropology being especially helpful. For the travel series, 

 specimens giving a picture of the country and the life of the 

 people were chosen, sometimes supplemented by mounted 

 photographs. The Indian collections contained models, dolls 

 and clothing, trinkets, weapons, etc., made and used by the 

 Indians themselves. About 31,829 children and 1,505 adults 

 saw the exhibits, and the librarians report that the circulation 

 of the books illustrated by these exhibits was appreciably in- 

 creased. 



In several libraries, cooperation with the schools of the 

 neighborhood was encouraged. For example, Dr. Lee, the Su- 

 perintendent of Districts 16 and 17, saw the Mexican Collec- 

 tion at the Aguilar Branch children's room, and, in order that 

 his pupils might be studying Mexico at the time that the 

 exhibit was available at the library, changed the course of 

 study of all his sixth-grade classes. The children visited the 

 library with their teachers, and a special table, with books and 

 pictures pertinent to the collection, was set aside for them. 

 Explanatory talks were also given by the librarians. 



In addition to its function as intermediary agent between the 

 Museum and the educational system of the city, the Depart- 

 ment of Public Education is the custodian of all 

 Photographic foe negatives, photographs, lantern slides and 

 electrotypes in the Museum and is also the official 

 photographer of the Museum. During the year 191 6, 1,318 

 negatives, 5,363 prints, 2,328 lantern slides, 389 enlargements 

 and 15 transparencies have been made. While these statistics 

 bear witness to the efficiency of our one photographer, Mr. 

 Julius Kirschner, they do not in any degree express the pa- 

 tience, energy and ingenuity he has displayed in producing the 

 desired results. 



