To extend this bit of experimental work, which has not progressed beyond its first steps, to all the libraries of the United States is of course impossible without modification. Your committee has not the machinery to handle detailed lists of operations from thousands of different libraries. Fortunately it is easy to select operations that are common to very large numbers of libraries of divers sizes and kinds and in all parts of the country. As examples of such operations, and as a small beginning, we selected those of accessioning, charging and discharging, and counting issue. Even with a narrowing of the field to two operations, however, it was impossible to investigate these in all our libraries, or even in a large number. After a discussion by correspondence, revealing some difference of opinion, we decided to select about twenty-five libraries, as representative as possible of different sizes, different institutions and different localities. The list as finally made up was as follows:-- Public Libraries New York St. Louis Pratt Institute East Orange, N. J. Atlanta, Ga. State Libraries New York Iowa California Connecticut Virginia University Libraries Harvard Syracuse Oberlin Kansas University Shurtleff College Alton, Ill. Trinity College Hartford, Conn. Tulane University New Orleans, La. Reference Libraries Grosvenor, Buffalo. Newberry, Chicago. Subscription Libraries Mercantile, N. Y. Athenaeum, Boston. Mercantile, St. Louis. Special Libraries Bar Association, N. Y. Academy of Medicine, N. Y. Engineering societies, N. Y. John Crerar, Chicago. To the librarians of each of these libraries was then sent the following letter:-- To the Librarian:-- The Committee on Library Administration of the A. L. A. is beginning a survey of simple operations common to all sorts of libraries, especially with a view to finding out whether there is much diversity of detail in them, and ultimately of noting particular methods that seem likely to result in time-saving or in better results. For the moment, however, a mere survey, involving a detailed description of the method of performing certain kinds of work is all that is aimed at. The Committee has selected 26 libraries of very different sizes and types, and yours is one of these. If you are willing to co-operate, will you kindly send at once to the chairman a description, in as minute detail as possible, of the following operations: Accessioning The counting of issue The charging of books The discharging of books