THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 21 



the number of the societies availing themselves of the faciUties thus 

 offered has largely increased, including, among others, nearly all the 

 State agricultural societies of America, publishing transactions. This 

 result has been produced by a circular which was issued by the Insti- 

 tution, early in the spring of last year, to make known more generally 

 the system of exchange. Copious returns are being constantly received 

 for the societies ; and an intercourse is thus established which cannot 

 fail to produce important results, both in an intellectual and moral point 

 of view. 



The governments of England and France have for some time admit- 

 ted the packages of the Institution free of duty and without examina- 

 tion. A request for a similar favor was made to the Prussian govern- 

 ment, during the past 3^ear, and it has been liberally granted by the 

 commissioners of the Zollverein. There is, therefore, no port to which 

 the Smithsonian parcels are shipped where duties are charged on 

 them — a certified invoice of contents by the secretary being sufficient 

 to pass them through the custom-house free of duty. On the other 

 hand, all packages addressed to the Institution, arriving at the ports of 

 the United States, are admitted, without detention, duty free. This 

 system of exchange is, therefore, the most extensive and efficient which 

 has ever been established in any country. Its effect on the character 

 and reputation of our own country can scarcely be too highly estimated ; 

 while its influence, though silent, is lelt in every part of the globe 

 where literature and science are cultivated. 



Library. — A difficulty which occurred between the librarian and 

 myself has led to his separation from the Institution ; and, since the 

 10th of last July, 1 have given the library, as far as my multiplied duties 

 would allow, my personal supervision. With the assistance of Profes- 

 sor Baird and others, means have been devised for improving its con- 

 dition and for rendering it more available for consultation. At present 

 it is not thought advisable to appoint a special bibliographer, but to 

 endeavor to conduct the business of the library by means of the assist- 

 ants now employed, and by such temporary help as may be found 

 necessary. An assistant has been employed to make a catalogue 

 of all the books received by exchange, and to prepare the volumes and 

 parts of volumes for binding. The list is now complete and will be 

 appended to the next report to Congress, for the purpose of pointing 

 out to our correspondents the deffciencies in the sets of transactions, 

 and thus affording the opportunity to supply them. What we cannot 

 procure in this way we shall endeavor to supply by purchase. 



I have also directed that the statistics of the library should be kept, 

 namely, the number of different persons who come to read, and the 

 number and character of the books they call for. During the last six 

 months 150 different individuals have read or consulted 742 books in 

 the library ; of these 400 were works of light literature, belonging to 

 the copyright deposit. During the same period 2,576 names were 

 entered in the registry of visitors. The principal value of the library 

 has been to the officers of the Institution, and to other persons engaged 

 in research connected with the Smithsonian publications. These, dur- 

 ing the period above-mentioned, have drawn out of the library 450 

 volumes, principally of a scientific character. 



