APPENDIX 9 



REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF 

 SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE 



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

 tions of the United States Regional Bureau of the International 

 Catalogue of Scientific Literature for the fiscal year ending June 30, 

 1932: 



In addition to the regular routine work of the bureau, direct cor- 

 respondence with the former regional bureaus has been carried on in 

 an attempt to resume the actual publication of this unique reference 

 catalogue, whose absence is keenly felt alike by students of science 

 and librarians. To this end the Secretary of the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution addressed the following letter to 30 of the various bodies 

 formerly cooperating in the work : 



Januauy 15, 1932. 



Dear Sir: Since imblication of the International Catalogue of Scientific 

 Literature was di;>continnecl, its need botli to students of science and libraries 

 has become ever more pressing, and the Smithsonian Institution desires to do 

 everything possible to promote reorganization of the enterprise. I am writing 

 to ask whether your institution will again cooperate in tlie work by supplying 

 classified references to the .current scientific literature of your region If a suffi- 

 cient capital fund can be provided to reestablish and finance the central bureau. 

 If publication is to be resumed, aid from the regional bureaus formerly co- 

 operating is essential to success; therefore I trust that your reply will be 

 favorable, as it is obvious that the value of the work will depend on all regions 

 being suitably represented. 



I am inclosing with this a brief outline of the proposed oi-ganlzation plans, 

 together with copies of three annual reports of this bureau containing mattei' 

 relating to same subject. 

 Very truly yours, 



(Signed) C. G. Abbot, Secretary. 



PROPOSED reorganization OF THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC 



LITERATURE 



In 1922 the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature in convention at 

 Brussels directed its executive committee to submit a plan for reorganization 

 when international conditions had sufficiently improved. Since then, however, 

 international political and financial conditions have been such that no reox"gani- 

 zation plan has been forthcoming. The need for the catalogue is to-day greater 

 than when publication ceased and nothing has appeared to take its place. 



The organization, consisting of some 34 regional bureaus, cooperating through 

 the Central Bureau in London, svii)plied classified-index references for the cata- 

 logue, and this method appears to have been ideal in accomplishing this the 



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