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FIFTH FLOOR 
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The fifth floor is given over to the administrative offices, the offices 
and laboratories of the scientific departments and the library. The reading 
room of the library is located in the west corridor, and is open free daily 4 
from 9 A. M. to 5 P. M. except Sundays and legal holidays. The library 
is a reference library containing some 70,000 volumes devoted to the natural ; 
sciences, a collection that has been accumulated for a three-fold purpose — ‘ 
namely, to supplement the exhibits of the Museum with the literature 
pertaining to them, to supply the natural history student with the most 
important scientific works, and to furnish the general reader with the more 
popular books such as give accurate but less detailed information, and at 
the same time stimulate a more intense study of nature. ‘ 
These aims in building up the collection of books have been fulfilled to 
such an extent that the Library now contains over 15,000 volumes on 
zoology, comprising many of the extremely rare and interesting monographs 
in ornithology; an excellent collection of 3500 volumes in entomology in- 
cluding many of the rare Classics and a 2000 volume collection in conchology 
containing the standard works of Kiister, Reeve and Binney. There is 
also a well selected collection of 2500 volumes in anthropology including 
many of the older works relating to the North American Indian; an excel- 
lent collection of 3500 volumes in geology enriched by the library of the 
late Professor Jules Marcou; a collection of 5000 volumes in paleontology 
to a large extent composed of the Osborn Library of Vertebrate Palzeontol- 
ogy; also an unusually complete collection of more than 25,000 volumes 
of natural science periodicals. These with the Bickmore Library of travels 
and a small but carefully selected assortment of books relating to scientific 
voyages give the library of the Museum important educational value. A 
rack in the reading room contains current issues of many scientific periodi- 
cals, 
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