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The second meeting of the Freer Gallery of Art Visiting Committee took place on May 31, 1972. After Senator Scott convened the meeting, Dr. Stern commented on the first report presented by the Committee. Dr. Stern noted the suggestions for an increase in educational activities, in staff, in curatorial personnel, and in docent service. While he agreed with all of these suggestions, Dr. Stern pointed out that their implementation depends upon a corresponding increase in federal funding.

The Committee then discussed the importance of a Gallery handbook. A suggestion was made that a handbook might contain approximately 300 pages of text combined with 300 black-and-white illustrations and several color plates. For economy, it was suggested that an edition of 25 - 30,000 copies be printed. The Committee suggested that the handbook might possibly be published by a commercial publishing house. The question of achieving more rapid distribution and sale of the handbook as well as the two Kodansha volumes was also brought up. The Committee discussed the possibility of setting up some form of centralized intermuseum consortium which would serve as a single distribution and publicity