44,669, of which 7,646 were purchases, 31, 112 were gifts, and 5,911 were exchanges. During the year 2,611 volumes and 19,374 pamphlets-duplicates were sent out in exchange, and 2,804 volumes and 3,803 pamphlets -United States documents-were returned to the Superintendent of Documents.

The total number of volumes on the shelves and available for use at the end of June, 1901, was 538,957, and of pamphlets about 182,370.

Re-classification in the reference department has been continued during the year. The most extensive changes were made in the sections of theology and church history, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, physics, chemistry, German history, and classical and English literature; work was done also in bibliography, art, theological periodicals included in Poole's Index, history and geography of Latin-America, public hygiene, shorthand, medicine, and orientalia. The number of works re-classified amounted to 36,155 volumes and 5,033 pamphlets. The location and class marks in the printed and card catalogues for entries representing these works have been changed to correspond to the new classification.

There were bound for the Library 9,126 volumes (not including about 1,000 volumes bound abroad before importation); and the Library bindery repaired 809 volumes, mounted 35 maps, and took apart 3 old newspaper volumes; 5,918 volumes were tied up in manila paper and 7,452 volumes were lettered and labelled; 2,035 pamphlets were stapled or sewed to hold stiff paper covers.

New shelving was added to the amount of 3,746 feet; but the shelves in some departments are becoming crowded, and it is necessary to store away some of the books least called for, to make room for the large accessions which are coming in.

CATALOGUE DEPARTMENT.

During the year there were catalogued 60,308 volumes and 39,045 pamphlets, for which purpose there were written 214,520 cards and 20,454 slips for the printer, from each of which slips from three to five printed cards were obtained. At the end of June, 1901, the index catalogue contained about 850,500 cards. The card catalogues in the two reading rooms at the Lenox Building contained 177,740 cards (106,240 in the general reading room, 43,000 in the music catalogue, and 28,500 in the catalogue of genealogies and local histories). In addition to the above, the catalogue of manuscripts contains 24,900 cards, of maps 20, 400 cards, of Americana 49,300 cards, of prints 7,000 cards.

The "small card" catalogue at the Astor Building which contained the author and subject record of books received by the Astor Library between

1880 and 1896 has now been abolished, all the entries in it having been transferred to the official author catalogue and to the public index catalogue either on written or printed cards. At the Lenox Building the cataloguing of the Americana (with the exception of a few collections, such as the De Bry, etc.) of early printed books, of voyages and travels, of the pamphlets in the Ford collection, printed in this country before 1825, and of all American history, has been completed. Work is now going on in English literature. The work of preparing a subject catalogue for the books of the Astor Library obtained prior to 1880 is going on in connection with the re-classification work. The author catalogue of these books is contained in the eight printed volumes of the Cogswell and Nelson Catalogues, which ultimately will be transferred to cards and embodied in the general index catalogue.

Owing to want of funds it has been found necessary to discharge the greater part of the extra force which has been employed for the last three years in bringing up arrears of work in cataloguing and classification, and this work must now go on more slowly. Of recent accessions there still remain a few thousand books and pamphlets to be catalogued; but unless some large and unforeseen addition by gift should come in, I hope to have all of these disposed of by the end of the next fiscal year. There are still about 100,000 books and pamphlets catalogued by author titles only.

The work of indexing certain current periodicals, referred to in previous reports, has been continued, and these index references are more and more highly appreciated by our readers. The number of current periodicals indexed is 1,125, besides those indexed for the A. L. A. co-operative work, and over 20,000 index cards were added to the catalogue from these two

sources.

READERS' DEPARTMENT.

During the year the number of readers who visited the two reference library buildings was 143,972, the Astor having received 101,689, and the Lenox 42,283. This is an increase of about 27,256 readers over the preceding year of 1899-1900, the increase being 13,135 at the Astor Branch, and 14,121 at the Lenox. The daily average of readers was 465, or 329 at the Astor and 136 at the Lenox. The largest number in any one month was in March and the smallest in July, as has been the case in previous years.

The total number of volumes and periodicals issued to readers in both buildings during the twelve months, not including the use made of the open reference shelves, was 605,487. Of the 544,037 volumes called for at the Astor, the largest number, 106,015, or 19 per cent., belonged to applied

REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

403 science; 92,850, or 17 per cent., belonged to English and American literature; 81,815, or 15 per cent., belonged to law, economics, sociology, and education; 67,871, or 12 per cent., related to the literature of Europe. The total number of volumes given out to readers at the Lenox Building was 61,450, of which 33,542 related to genealogy and 4,335 to music. Tables are appended showing in detail by months the statistics of readers and the character of the books called for at the Astor and the Lenox Buildings.

SLAVONIC DEPARTMENT.

The accessions amounted to 863 volumes, bringing the total number in the department to 3, 161 volumes. The most important gift during the year was from Mrs. Gertrude King Schuyler, and consisted of 497 volumes and 68 pamphlets from the library of her husband, the late Eugene Schuyler; this proved to contain valuable historical material, periodicals, Russian church history, genealogy, philology, good editions of standard Russian anthors, etc. From Servia the Library received 115 volumes and 55 pamphlets, mainly documents relating to foreign affairs of the country. Gifts from other sources were received to the amount of 91 volumes. The Library is now taking for this department 3 daily newspapers, 13 weekly and 31 monthly periodicals. The number of volumes catalogued was 1,118, for which 4,674 cards were written; the number of volumes re-classified was 286. The number of readers averaged 225 per month.

EXCHANGES.

During the year there were received by the Library on exchange account 3,814 volumes and 5,911 pamphlets, and there were sent out duplicates in exchange to the number of 2,611 volumes and 19,374 pamphlets. In exchange for the Bulletin there were received 116 American and 25 foreign periodicals (total 141), and in addition 152 American and 61 foreign (total 213) annual publications and 68 separate volumes, all of which latter have been credited as gifts in the statistics of volumes and pamphlets actually received during the year.

The most important works received by exchange were two volumes printed by William Bradford, one being the " Laws of Her Majesties Colony of New York," between 1691 and 1708, printed in New York in 1713, and the other the "Votes of the Colonial Legislature," from 1722 to 1737, printed in this City by Bradford and John Peter Zenger. The Library acquired also in this manner a complete copy of the "Speculum Vitæ Humanæ" by Rodericus Sancius de Arevalo Zamorensis, printed by Sweynheim and Pannartz in Rome, in 1468, probably the third book printed in that city. Important files of San Francisco and Cincinnati newspapers

have been received by exchange, as well as documents and official publications from the Australasian Colonies, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, New Hampshire and Indiana State Libraries, Uruguay, and other States and libraries.

PERIODICAL DEPARTMENT.

The total number of readers in the periodical department during the fiscal year was 21,472, being a daily average of 72. In addition to the journals contained on the open reference shelves, 209, 028 numbers of periodicals were called for, being a daily average of 676. The total number of periodicals received at this date is 3,646, of which 844 are gifts. In addition to these the Library receives, by purchase, 590 annual publications, and by gift 5,260 annual publications*. The average of separate numbers of periodicals received daily is 258, the total number for the year being 80,645. This includes 56 daily papers, 575 weeklies, 141 semimonthlies, 1,159 monthlies, 151 bi-monthlies, 495 quarterlies, 72 semiannuals and 856 of irregular period of publication. In addition 517 document serials (224 foreign and 293 domestic) are included in the report of the document department. In exchange for the Bulletin the Library receives a total of 354 periodicals, an increase of 53 for the year; of these 152 are American annual publications and 6: foreign annuals, and 116 American and 25 foreign periodicals of greater frequence of publication than annually. A table is appended giving the statistics of periodicals received by countries. 2,121 volumes of old periodicals were added to the Library during the year, completing important files.

PRINT DEPARTMENT.

The number of prints accessioned during the year was 8,763; the number of works catalogued in the department, 268 volumes and 14 pamphlets, for which 1,738 cards were written. There were hinged on mounts 386 prints. New shelving was added to the amount of 173 feet. The visitors to the print room numbered 432, and to the print exhibitions 7,683.

Important gifts during the year have been received from Mr. S. P. Avery, including over 400 prints, besides many portfolios and printed books; from Mr. E. Bierstadt, 7 Japanese wood blocks; from Mr. Charles B. Curtis, 990 prints (over 1,400 pieces), 6 volumes, 11 pamphlets; from Mr. J. Durand, a specially bound volume, containing 90 original drawings, designed for bank-note vignettes by Asher B. Durand, his father, together with an engraved powder horn; from Mr. J. Elderkin, 9 prints; from Mr. E. D. French, 25 book-plates, executed by himself; from Mr. R. Swain

*In previous reports annuals received by purchase have been included in the periodical statistics; annuals received by gift have not been separately mentioned.

Gifford, 8 of his own etchings; from Mr. Frederick Sheldon, 13 prints; from Mr. James D. Smillie, 628 prints, the work of his father, James Smillie, between 1825 and 1885, and 295 prints by other engravers contemporary with his father; from Mr. Charles Stewart Smith, a collection of engravings by Japanese artists, amounting to 1,763 prints in 35 albums; from Mr. R. H. Storer 909 prints, and from Mr. H. Wolf 12 signed proofs of wood engravings by himself.

The exhibition of caricatures of the Franco-German War period, held during the summer of 1900, gave place to an exhibition of the work of James MacNeill Whistler on October 24th; this was drawn mainly from the Avery collection, and included the etchings, a number of lithographs, the set of twenty-four photographs, "Nocturnes, Marines, Chevalet Pieces," photographic reproductions of paintings and lithographs by Whistler, catalogues of various Whistler exhibitions, pamphlets and caricatures relating to him, together with pen-and-ink drawings, portraits, etc., signed by him or his fellow-artists; some portrait material was supplied by books in the Astor collection; Mr. Avery loaned Whistler's portrait in oils by himself, and Mr. G. W. Maynard loaned an early drawing by Whistler.

On January 21, 1901, this exhibition gave place to an exhibition of books, manuscripts, maps, plans, views, etc, relating to the City of New York. This included about 433 pieces, contained in fifty-two show-cases. A number of pieces were loaned by friends of the Library; the City (through the Comptroller) loaned the original manuscripts of the Dongan and Montgomerie charters (1686 and 1731), two volumes of corporation accounts of the periods 1691 to 1700, and 1706 to 1736, and documents relating to the ferries (1708-1871), and (through the City Clerk and Corporation) the oldest volume extant of the records of New Amsterdam, containing the minutes of the burgomaster and schepens from 1653 to 1656, and the Ordinances of the City from 1647 to 1661. Articles were loaned also by the following individuals: Mrs. Robert Abbe, President of the New York City History Club; Mr. William Loring Andrews, Mr. E. D. Church, Mr. John D. Crimmins, Mr. J. H. Innes, Mr. Alexander Maitland, Hon. John Boyd Thacher, Gen. James Grant Wilson, and also by the Bank of Manhattan Company and by the New York Society Library. A list of the articles loaned was printed in the March Bulletin; no list of the articles on exhibit was printed as such, but all books, maps, etc., in the exhibit owned by the Library were included in the various check-lists of works relating to the City printed in the Bulletin, in January-June, 1901.

On March 23rd the New York City exhibition gave place to a collection of Japanese engravings and chromoxylographs formed by Captain Brinkley, of the "Japan Mail," and presented to the Library by Mr. Charles Stewart