BOOKS ISSUED:
Statistics

Social Science Research Coun

cil.

nearly 24 years in the case of each: Mrs. Marie Ursula (Dwyer) Nordstrom, who had rendered exceptionally efficient and uniformly faithful service as an attendant in the bookstacks from September 11, 1903, to April 14, 1927; and Miss Margaret Hope Brown, whose acceptable and loyal service at the telephone and (later) at the return desk extended from August 8, 1904, to February 28, 1927. Death claimed one other assistant, William Henry Hull, who had served faithfully as a messenger from December 6, 1918, until his death on April 9, 1927.

During the past year, books issued in the main reading room showed increases in the following classes: Polygraphy, philosophy and religion, auxiliary sciences and American genealogy, history and topography (except American), American history (general), American history (local), political science, education, fine arts, science, technology, military and naval sciences. There were increases noted in the following classes of books issued for outside use: Philosophy and religion, auxiliary sciences, history and topography (except American), geography and anthropology, social and economic sciences, political science, education, science, agriculture, bibliography.

As an example of intensive use of our facilities, the following may prove of interest:

Dr. A. F. Kuhlman, of the department of sociology of the University of Missouri, as director of the committee on survey of research in crime and criminal justice, appointed by the Social Science Research Council, was at work in the Library with eight assistants from February 14-March 7, 1927, compiling an annotated Bibliography on Crime. This group was, of course, provided with special facilities, reserved desk space, a collection of reference books, stack access, and several thousand volumes from the Library's collection of criminology. Dr. Kuhlman has thus recorded his appreciation:

Before leaving Washington on the afternoon of the 7th, I called at your office . . . to express my appreciation to you for the generous assistance you gave us in our work on the Bibliography on Crime . . . You were most generous in assigning to us such a large and well-equipped space in which to do our work. This made for great economy and increased efficiency in our efforts

It is refreshing to find such a well-managed institution. I

have never worked in any large library that is so efficienly managed. Personally I feel greatly indebted to you, and in behalf of the Social Science Research Council I want to thank you, again, for the efficient assistance you gave us so generously in our work.

NEW BOOKSTACK IN NORTHEAST COURT

The new stack filling completely the northeast court was finished and formally delivered last March. The arrangement of the several floors and a vertical cross section of the structure are shown on plans facing pages 168, 170, and 172, and its relation to the building as a whole is indicated in the revised floor plans of the building.

The pressing need of additional stack space has been realized since about 1919, when it prompted the provision for double shelving to care for the rapidly increasing flow of material and when material of the same class had to be crowded in different parts of the various stacks. The need was presented to the Congress, and in the act of 1925-26 an appropriation of $345,000 and a general authorization for a new stack in the northeast courtyard was provided. Subsequently in the act of 1926-27 the Congress made an additional appropriation of $400,000 for its completion. The contract was let as a whole to the Snead Co. on December 10, 1925, work was begun on December 29, 1925, and the stack formally delivered within the contract time in March, 1927.

The stack comprises 14 levels or floors (decks), and exclusive of the lowest level has a capacity of 1,750,000 volumes of ordinary sizes and 50,000 folio volumes. The area covered by the 14 levels is 3.3 acres. There are 168,082 feet of 10-inch (wide) shelving, 38,288 feet of 12-inch shelving, 61,716 feet of 22-inch shelving, and 3,148 feet of sliding shelving. The total length of all shelving amounts to about 51.3 miles.

The materials of the construction are steel and cast-iron framework, steel shelving, and white marble for the flooring with the exception of the two top levels where cork flooring is used to eliminate unnecessary noise. Two electric elevators, one of which is in charge of an operator, are available for service from 9 a. m. to 10 p. m. (2 to 10 p. m. on Sundays and holidays) which is a decided con

Rare book room.

venience to the staff and those using the study rooms. Two series of stairways also provide access between the various floors.

The type of the shelving is, in general, identical with that installed in the other stacks. The construction of the floors and their relation to the shelving show many improvements. Each of the floors has a very effective lighting system and the ventilation is all that could be desired. Each floor is fitted with appropriate furnitureassorting table, tables for assistants and card cabinet to contain a card for each book on that floor. All the apparatus is of fireproof construction. Drop shelves are now in course of construction which are to be placed on each floor for convenience of those doing research in a particular group of material.

The system of book carriers long in operation in the north and south bookstacks could not, for physical reasons (terminals in the reading room not feasible) be utilized in this stack. The service of books from the new stack will in part be by messenger and in part by the utilization of the book carrier from the north stack. This has been kept in mind in the shifting of the books, the north and south stacks served by book carrier being reserved for our most active classes. A complete pneumatic service connects the central reading room desk with every floor in the new stack.

As distinct from the other stacks there is a variation on the two upper floors which rise above the surrounding structure.

(a) On the top floor provision has been made for an inclosure comprising 39 small rooms to care for our "rarities" (our "office collection "), and

Study rooms. (b) Around its periphery, with free natural light and ventilation, a series of 25 study rooms for investigators doing advanced work who will be free from noise or interruption.

On the second level from the top is an open space corresponding to that occupied by the study rooms on the top level, which is not partitioned and affords an opportunity for placing tables or desks for the use of research