Report of the President 79 



books have been used by the British Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, Hamburgisches Kolonialinstitut, the Brooklyn Institute 

 of Arts and Sciences, Columbia University, Harvard Uni- 

 versity, Yale University, Trinity College, Grosvenor Public 

 Library of Buffalo, and the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington, D. C, as well as by institutions in the South and 

 West. In each case the books were requested because they 

 were not in the possession of the home institution, and there- 

 fore these loans accomplish a very valuable scientific service. 

 It is a great satisfaction to be able to administer a department 

 in an institution whose liberality permits a wise diffusion of 

 knowledge by maintaining a special library of exceptional 

 completeness. 



Equipment. — During the year just past extensive additions 

 have been made to the equipment, new and unusally efficient 

 lighting systems have been placed in the old stacks, the instal- 

 lation of the new two-storied steel stack has been effected, the 

 card catalog has been placed in a more accessible and con- 

 venient series of cabinets, doorways have been so constructed 

 that all the rooms are now directly connected, and periodical 

 cases have been placed along the side walls of the Reading 

 Room, where are to be found the more important books of 

 reference and the current numbers of the most used scientific 

 periodicals dealing with natural history. The disturbance 

 caused by the many changes incidental to new construction has 

 somewhat interfered with the efficiency of library work, yet with 

 the transfer of special sections to more commodious quarters 

 it is assured that usefulness and convenience will be greatly 

 enhanced. 



Public Reading Room. — In the early part of the year a 

 general reading room was opened on the second floor. A 

 small collection of popular and non-technical books relating 

 to natural history was so arranged that the public could freely 

 use them. It was soon found necessary, however, to enlarge 

 the space and place an assistant in attendance; although the 

 venture was undertaken as an experiment, it has undoubtedly 

 proved its educational value. 



