36 



CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



The rules also provided for the sale of books at prices sufficient to cover the 

 cost of publication and transportation to purchasers. The following table 

 shows the aggregate number of books distributed in these four ways. The 

 figures include corresponding data, so far as available, for the period prior 

 to 1905, and comprise returns up to November i, 1907: 



Table shoiving statistics of distribution of publications. 



Mode of distribution. 



By omnia list 



By requests of authors. . . . 



By sales 



By discretion of President 



Total 



Number of 

 volumes. 



26,012 



15,137 

 4,209 

 2,402 



47,760 



Percentage of 

 total number. 



54.47 



31.69 



8.81 



5-03 



100.00 



Excluding the Index Medicus, there are now on hand, in storage in the 

 Bond Building and in the attic of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Institu- 

 tion, in round numbers, 40,000 volumes. The sale value 



Number and Valtie of Qf ^j^^gg books aggregates about $62,000. Of the Index 

 Publications on Hand. eso o 01 r 



Medicus there are in storage 1,800 volumes of an aggre- 

 gate sale value of $8,000. The total value of books now on hand is there- 

 fore about $70,000. 



ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS. 



In his report for the year 1905 the President indicated that the distribu- 

 tion of the publications of the Institution was likely to present some diffi- 

 culties. Under provisional rules approved by the Execu- 

 ^"^^ofpiSlkSSnf'^" ^^^^ Committee in January, 1905, and published in the 

 annual report for that year all publications of the Insti- 

 tution except the Index Medicus are sent free of charge to a list of about 

 three hundred leading libraries of the world. This list was compiled with 

 great care from a much larger list selected by a competent librarian, with a 

 view to include every important library of educational and learned institu- 

 tions of the world. Pains were taken also to secure as effective geographical 

 distribution as practicable. 



In accordance with the same rules, authors, in addition to receiving 25 

 copies of their works, were authorized to designate 100 addresses to which 

 complimentary copies might be sent by the Institution. The President was 

 also given discretionary authority to distribute gratis 100 copies of any work. 

 The possible maximum free list for any work was thus about 525 copies. 



The standard edition of our publications approved by the Executive Com- 

 mittee at the same time is 1,000 copies; and copies not disposed of in the 



