1905, p. 79.) We have many examples of changes which seem to be of this kind.

Independently of the color question as affected by time and the fading of leathers, the question may arise in the use of the "acid free" leathers which it is better to sacrifice, quality of leather or the desired color. There are many colors, used without question in the ordinary goods, which can not be produced except by chemicals injurious to the leather. These colors can not be secured in the "guaranteed" goods.

CATALOGUING

(From the report of the Chief, Mr. Martel)

The total number of volumes catalogued during the year was 102,900, of which 78,422 were new accessions and 24,478. arrears recatalogued. The number of cards filed in the various catalogues of the library totalled 565,339.

List of American doctoral dis

The first issue of the annual List of American doctoral dissertations compiled in collaboration with the University sertations libraries was published. It covers the theses printed during the calendar year 1912. Copy for the second issue, theses printed in 1913, is ready for the printer. About 2,000 titles have been collected to date toward a general retrospective bibliography of the dissertations printed prior to 1912, which it is planned to publish as soon as the list is presumed to be complete. It has been suggested that the scope of this bibliography be enlarged to include unpublished theses. If the necessary data can be secured with a fair degree of uniformity and completeness from the different institutions concerned it would seem desirable that it be done, since some of the foremost universities of the country do not require the deposit of the dissertations in printed form.

CLASSIFICATION

(From the report of the chief, Mr. Perley)

The number of volumes classified during the fiscal year 1913–14 was 102,664 (1912–13, 105,618; 1911–12, 110,102); reclassified, 21,889, including 4,739 transfers (1912-13,. 23,970, including 1,817 transfers); new accessions, 80,775 (1912-13, 81,648); shelflisted, 91,359, of which 74,209 were new accessions (1912-13, shelflisted 98,442; new accessions 76,289).

The reclassified portion of the Library now contains in round numbers 1,368,500 volumes, distributed as follows: Class A (Polygraphy), 78,000; B-BJ (Philosophy), 14,000; C-D (History, exclusive of America), 121,500; E-F (America), 105,500; G (Geography), 24,000; H-J (Social and political sciences), 323,000; L (Education), 56,000; M (Music), 25,000; N (Fine arts), 33,000; P (Language and literature), 110,500; PZ (Fiction in English), 53,000; Q (Science), 136,000; R (Medicine), 46,500; S (Agriculture), 50,000; T (Technology), 87,500; U (Military science), 17,500; V (Naval science), 15,000; Z (Bibliography), 72,000; Incunabula, etc., 500.

Besides these additions to the reclassified portions of the Library there have been added to classes still remaining in the old classification 6,566 volumes. In the Deinard collection of Hebraica about 2,500 volumes have been classified by Dr. Schapiro.

The following table shows the classification by subjects for the year:

1 Estimated.

2 Includes librettos and other material not yet catalogued.

To the Chief Classifier the year ending June 30, 1914, has been a source of much gratification as showing a steady progress in the efficiency of this section of the Library. As at present constituted the personnel of the Classification Section, including the shelf listing and labeling sections, is unusually strong, the chief regret being that it has not been possible to obtain for all of the assistants salaries commensurate with their value to the Library.

During the year considerable time has been spent on
the preparation of classification schedules for printing.
Mr. Schmidt, with the aid of Miss McNair of the Catalogue
Division, has nearly completed the preparation of Class D,
History (except American). It is estimated that a month's
work will complete the revision, and that the scheme and
index will be in press before the end of the calendar year.
As these schedules were done at different times and by dif-
ferent people and before the recataloguing of this material,
it is believed that this careful revision at this time will
greatly improve the schemes and facilitate their use.

The schedules of General, English, and American Litera-
ture have likewise been prepared for the press, to be issued
as one volume with an index, and were sent to the printer
in September.

Owing to the heavy amount of routine work with new
accessions and the vast arrears still awaiting reclassification
in the old form-classes, Essays, Collected works, Letters, Mis-
cellanies, etc., it has not been found possible to undertake
any new schedules, with the exception of Italian literature
and the small class of Folk-lore.

An important work completed during the year was the
reclassification of American biography, the portion reclas-
sified in American history being especially valuable. The
old classes of biography are now reclassified with the excep-
tion of part of English biography and all material which
may be reclassified later in Law or Religion, classes which
remain at present in the old classification. During the
next year it is proposed to continue the reclassification of
foreign literature, Spanish and Portuguese being the next
to be undertaken. Latin and Greek literature, originally
planned for reclassification during the past year, have been
postponed to follow the reclassification of the more im-
portant modern languages.

An earnest effort will be made during the coming year to
diminish as much as possible the arrears of reclassification
in classes already established.

CARD DIVISION

(From the report of the Chief, Mr. Hastings)

During the year the number of subscribers to the printed
cards has increased from 1852 to 1986.

The cash sale of cards, including subscriptions to proof-
sheets, amounted to $54,738.64, an increase of nearly 15
per cent over the sales of 1912–13.

The sale of cards to the libraries of the departments of the
United States government, paid for by transfer of credits,
amounted to $1,992.90.

Cards for about 38,000 different titles were added to the
stock during the year, including about 6,000 cards printed
for libraries in the District of Columbia and about 3,000
printed for other cooperating libraries.

The whole number of different titles now represented in
the stock is approximately 622,000, including about 36,000.
unrevised cards, not included in the depository sets. The
average stock of each card is estimated at 70, making the
total number of cards in stock about 43,500,000.

No new depository sets have been assigned during the
year. The full list of depositories is given in the third edi-
tion of the Handbook of Card Distribution, issued during
the year. No new partial depository sets have been assigned
to libraries of the United States Government. The full list
of these is also given in the third edition of the Handbook.

In addition to new editions of the Handbook of Card
Distribution and the pamphlet L. C. Printed Cards, a re-
vised and combined edition of the Bulletins 16-19 has been
printed containing a full list of series and sets of publica-
tions for which the Library has issued analytical cards. The