166 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



lication be restricted to a well defined range, viz : to scientific 

 reports on the present state of^ knowledge of a given subject, to pre- 

 cede the periodical reports ; to translations from foreign languages of 

 papers of general interest ; and occasionally, perhaps, the exposition of 

 a subject on which, at a particular time, popular knowledge is required. 

 We should be careful not to establish a precedent which may lead us 

 into difficulty, in the way of declining the pubhcation of works which 

 may be presented to us. Scarcely a week passes in which the Institu- 

 tion is not requested to publish some essay or compilation, and the 

 funds which can be devoted to all our pubhcations would not suffice 

 for one half of those offered of this kind. The only work of this class 

 which has yet been attempted by the Institution, is one entitled, 

 " Hints on Public Architecture," under the direction of the Building 

 Committee. Although the Secretary's name was mentioned in the reso- 

 lution authorizing the publication of this treatise, yet he has thus far 

 had no connexion with it. The publication was authorized before the 

 details of the plan of organization were fully settled. It was at first 

 intended merely as a report of the Building Committee, giving an 

 account of the plans submitted, and the one adopted for the Smithsonian 

 building, together with a report of the investigations of the committee 

 with regard to the materials of construction, &c. It was afterwards 

 changed into the form of a regular treatise, in order that it might be re- 

 ferred to a commission of persons chosen to examine it, and that, the 

 Institution might thus be relieved from the responsibility of pronounc- 

 ing upon its fitness for pubhcation. I think it important that, besides 

 the preface of this work, a full account of its origin should be given in 

 an introductory advertisement. 



Library. 



During the past year the library has continued to increase by dona- 

 tions, and by the books which have been deposited b}^ publishers, in 

 accordance with the 10th section of the act establishing the Institution. 

 The requirements of this act are, however, not strictly observed by all 

 publishers ; and I would direct the attention of the Board to a special 

 report of the Assistant Secretary with reference to this point. The 

 whole subject will probably come before Congress during its present 

 session. 



Professor Jewett, the Assistant Secretary, has been industriously en- 

 gaged during the past year in procuring statistics of the libraries of the 

 United States, and in ch'gesting plans for the details of the library of the 

 Institution, and I beg leave to refer you to the able and interesting 

 report of the results of his labors, herewith submitted. A considerable 

 portion of the copies of the Smithsonian Contributions will be presented 

 to public institutions which publish transactions, and which are able to 

 present us in return with additions to our library. The volume now in 

 process of distribution has been preceded by a circular requesting ex- 

 changes of the works of all institutions which issue transactions and 

 catalogues of all libraries to which the Contributions may be sent. 



