Report on the International Exchange 



Service 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activi- 

 ties of the International Exchange Service for the fiscal year ended 

 June 30, 1956 : 



The Smithsonian Institution is the official United States agency 

 for the exchange with other nations of governmental, scientific, and 

 literary publications. The International Exchange Service, initiated 

 by the Smithsonian Institution in the early years of its existence for 

 the interchange of scientific publications between learned societies 

 and individuals in the United States and those of foreign countries, 

 serves as a means of developing and executing in part the broad and 

 comprehensive objective, "the diffusion of knowledge." It was later 

 designated by the United States Government as the agency for the 

 transmission of official documents to selected depositories throughout 

 the world, and it continues to execute the exchanges pursuant to con- 

 ventions, treaties, and other international agreements. 



The number of packages of publications received for transmission 

 during the year increased by 14,983 to the yearly total of 1,161,855 

 but the weight of the packages decreased by 9,904 to the yearly total 

 of 803,056 pounds. The average weight of the individual package 

 decreased to 11.14 ounces, as compared to the 11.34-ounce average for 

 the fiscal year of 1955. 



The publications received from foreign sources for addressees in 

 the United States and from domestic sources for shipment abroad are 

 classified as shown in the following table : 



The packages of publications are forwarded to the exchange bureaus 

 of foreign countries by freight or, where shipment by such means is 



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