The report of the college librarian always forms one of the most interesting and satisfactory parts of the annual report of the president upon the condition of the University. The library is perhaps the best managed and most efficient of all the departments at Harvard. The developments of recent years, especially in the direction of the class-room and laboratory libraries, have largely increased its usefulness. The annual growth is perfectly steady, and. while increasing continually the number of old books, serves to keep the library fully abreast of the times. An average addition of about ten thousand volumes and the same number of pamphlets has come to be looked for annually. During the last college year 9606 volumes were added to the central building, as against 13365 for 1889-90, and 9045 for 1888-89. Two new department libraries were located in Harvard Hall, 2089 volumes being purchased to form a classical library, and 571 for a library on English and Continental history. 11005 pamphlets were added to the central library in the course of the year. The total number of books there is now about 292000, with 150,000 pamphlets. The class-room and laboratory libraries, exclusive of the great department libraries, like those of the law and divinity schools, now contain 8452 volumes. Try 1889-90 98 per cent. of the students used the central library; in 1890-91 not more than 95 per cent. did so. The decrease is probably to be attributed to the facilities offered by the class-room libraries. The total number of books loaned for the year has been 85,897. In 1889-90 it was 84,191. The large number of admittances granted to the stack in 1889-90 were found to cause much inconvenience. Every effort is therefore being made to reduce the number of stack cards issued from year to year.

The most valuable addition made to the library in 1890-91 was received from the family of the late Professor Gurney. It consists of 1995 books and 1600 pamphlets from his well-known historical collections. About the same number of books were received from the same source two years ago.

An addition of great interest to all Harvard men falls within the present college year, The late James Russell Lowell be queathed to Harvard College his copy of Webster on Witchcraft, once the property of Increase Mather, sometime president of Harvard College, together with any of his books of which no copies, or only poorer copies, were owned by the college. Webster on Witchcraft, though made interesting by its its former owner, is by no means the most valuable of the volumes that will come to the college under this clause of Mr. Lowell's will. His collections of modern Spanish and Italian literature were exceptionally full, and his library contained a most curious and interesting shelf of books on the black arts of magic and witchcraft. Many interesting presentations will come to the college. The whole collection is now being examined, and will be freely drawn upon.