ANNOUNCEMENTS.

HERE are three objects to be pursued by the Academy which will increase its usefulness and give it strength. The first of these pertains to the library, the second to the museum, and the third to scientific investigation.

THE LIBRARY.

By a system of exchanges we have secured about 5000 volumes of scientific literature-much of it consisting of the transactions of scientific societies in all parts of the world where such organizations exist. Much of this matter is of great value and can be found in no other publications. It represents the front wave of progress and is of highest interest to investigators, only needing such cataloguing and classification as will make it available for ready consultation. There is in the state-house a large collection of books, and considerable scientific literature, outside of the collection of the Academy. All these books belong to the state, inasmuch as they have been bound and cared for through state appropriation, and it is expected that they will still be sustained by public funds. The state library was originally simply a law library, in charge of the supreme court, who directed its management and appointed the librarian. Later this library came to include many miscellaneous books, departmental reports, Smithsonian publications, dictionaries, encyclopedias, books of reference, as well as some sets of valuable scientific and literary journals. At a later date the state accepted the donation of $5000 to maintain the Stormont medical library, and a large collection of medical books from the library of Doctor Stormont became the nucleus of this department, which was also placed in charge of the officers of the state library, but the Kansas Medical Society, through a committee, recommends the volumes to be purchased with this fund.

In 1899 the Traveling Libraries Commission went into operation, in charge of the state librarian, the president of the federated clubs, and three other persons, appointed by the state library directors. This library includes books of a more popular character given to or purchased for the commission or sent out by the librarian from the state library. This de(273)

partment has about 20,000 volumes in its rooms, in the west wing of the basement.

The most considerable collection of books, outside of those under direct management of the state librarian, is the library of the State Historical Society. By its act of incorporation this society is directed to procure by gift or exchange not only material illustrative of history, but books, maps, etc., of every description, which will "facilitate the investigation of historical, scientific, social, educational and literary subjects." To enable the society to augment its collection, the law has given to it "sixty bound copies each of the several publications of the state and of its societies and institutions," except supreme court reports. Besides these collections, every department in the state-house has its own more or less considerable library, which may be regarded as tools of these offices. It will thus be seen that the capitol contains large sources of possible information in books, but if one seeks here for any particular article or book the quest is often not easy and may be fruitless. Our Academy is on record, more than once, as favoring such a consolidation of all the book interests of the state-house as will insure a separation into departments and a complete cataloguing, by the Dewey system, of all the books found here.

One way of doing this is to extend the authority of the state librarian so that he may divide the collections into departments and have his cataloguers include them all. By such an arrangement the duplication of books would be avoided, which is now a common occurrence.

The individuality of the Academy library and that of the Historical Society would be modified from what it now is, but not destroyed, and each organization would go on adding to its collection, only each would be restricted to its own field. The main thought would be not to glorify this or that department, but to build up the library as a whole.

THE MUSEUM.

It has always been a function of the Academy to foster collections of natural history, especially those which have a distinct educational or economic value. Our membership has always embraced quite a percentage of botanists, entomologists, mineralogists, etc., and it has been customary for them to bring specimens to the Academy. These used to be displayed in the rooms of the State Board of Agriculture, and

no very distinct line existed between them and agricultural products, just os our "Transactions" was a supplement to the agricultural report. In the Centennial at Philadelphia, and in the Columbian Eposition at Chicago, the displays were made together, but in the Purchase Exposition at St. Louis our secretary having been appointed to have charge of the Kansas mineral exhibits, worked in conjunction with the Labor Bureau commissioner, and at the close was fortunate in having the Kansas exhibit turned over to our Academy. In the meantime the Goss collection had been moved to new quarters, and it was thought best to have the mammals and insects go with the birds and so make the Academy museum represent only the economic mineral products of the state. Such a museum might be made of great commercial value in showing the location of our clays suited for brick and pottery as well as cement material, building stone, glass sand, shales for mineral paint and brick, salt deposits, and, most important of all, point to the location of coal, oil and gas deposits.

This plan would bring us into cooperation with the Geological Survey of the state, and it is certainly proper for the Academy to have a share in that great enterprise. There is no place in the state so convenient and useful as the capitol building for the display of these economic products. Our present nucleus is a good beginning, and it is time to unite the varied interests that should be contributory to the desired result. The work already done by the University Geological Survey has prepared the way, and now is the time to enlarge the structure on a broader foundation, so that all geologists of the state may feel that they have a part and interest in the State Geological Survey. In the not distant future there will be need of a new state building to properly house the various departments that are even now clamoring for more room, and this will leave the present capitol for legislative chambers and executive offices. In that new structure plans should be laid for offices, display rooms and libraries; but, in the meantime, our present quarters permit considerable development of the proposed economic museum. It should be the place where people may come for accurate information respecting the mineral resources of the state, and the display samples of these minerals might be accompanied by chemical analyses, showing their adaptability to proposed uses. From present showing, the mineral wealth of Kansas will compare favorably with