Condensations, digests, and briefs may be prepared during the interval between sessions which will save hours of time during the actual high pressure season of the session itself. Any sort of short-cut brought about by analyticals, or any other devices known to the cataloger, should be used. Shrewdness of judgment and a general discrimination as to what is really valuable is not only highly desirable but absolutely essential. Since time is such an important element, it might be well to call attention to the fact, that the legislative reference library may be adequately maintained without many of the records which are favored in libraries in general. Do away with as much "red tape" as possible. Simplicity of material, simplicity in service, simplicity in the whole department is to be commended above almost any other one characteristic. Among those records which can be abandoned with perfect propriety in such a department, are the accession book, gift book and withdrawal book. So much of the material is ephemeral in its value that the cost of maintenance outweighs the value received in actual results. The serial list may be exceedingly simple. Records of the number of books cataloged, or circulation statistics are of very doubtful value in this work. Since the loss of material is inevitably rather large, an inventory is almost essential. However, material is easily replaced, much of it is free and because of this fact, a biennial inventory will prove satisfactory in most cases. There is no need of a complicated charging system. In truth, establish no records of any kind within the library until convinced that its efficiency will be hampered without them. Emphasis is put upon this point, because of the fact that all legislative reference departments have small appropriations in the beginning, and it is during this early period that the library must justify its existence by showing results in active service rather than in catalogs and records. At first there are never enough assistants to do both efficiently. Therefore, let the tendencies be toward those things which will bring into evidence vital things rather than mere good housekeeping. It might be well to state that the term "catalog" will be used in the broadest possible sense. The definition of the term as it will be used in this paper, might be given as "a record of sources and of material," and not merely a record of material to be found upon the shelves of any one library or institution.