REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 15 



which ever signalized the spirit of the age or the comprehensive beneficence 

 of the founder^ none can he named more deserving the approbation of 

 manJcind. 



The most important service by far which the Smithsonian Institution 

 has rendered to the nation has been that extended from year to year 

 since 1846 — intangible but none the less aj)preciable — by its constant 

 cooperation with the Government, pubhc institutions, and individuals 

 in every enterprise, scientific or educational, which needed advice, 

 support, or aid from manifold resources. 



There have been, however, material results of its activities, the extent 

 of which can not fail to impress anyone who will look at them. The 

 most important of these are the library and the Museum, which have 

 grown up under its fostering care. 



THE LIBRARY. 



The library has been accumulated without aid from the Treasury of 

 the United States. It has, in fact, been the result of an extensive 

 system of exchanges, the publications ol" the Institution having been 

 used to obtain similar publications from institutions of learning in all 

 parts of the world. 



The value of the books distributed since the Institution was opened, 

 must have been nearly $1,000,000, or nearly twice the original bequest 

 of Smithson.i Many of these publications are now out of print. 



In return for these, and by i)urchase, it has received the great col- 

 lection of books which forms its library and which is one of the richest 

 in the world in the publications of learned societies, and therefore of 

 inestimable value, containing, as it does, the record of actual progress 

 in all that pertains to the mental and physical development of the 

 human family, and aftbrding the means of tracing the history of every 

 branch of positive science since the days of the revival of letters until 

 the present time. This library was, in 1865, deposited at the Capitol, 

 as a portion of the Congressional Library. 



The Smithsonian Collection, which includes more than three hundred 

 thousand volumes and parts of volumes, constituting perhaps one- 

 fourth of the National Library, is to be installed in a special hall of its 

 own upon the main floor of the new library building. The rapidity 

 with which it is increasing is indicated by the fact that more than 

 32,000 titles were added during the past fiscal year.^ 



The Institution has probably done more toward building up a great 

 library in Washington than would have been possible had all its 

 income been devoted strictly to library work, as was at one time seri- 

 ously proposed. 



• This estimate is based npon the prices which are charged for the books by second- 

 hand dealers, as shown in their catalogues. 



-The working libraries of the National Museum and the Bureau of Ethnology are 

 distinct from the general Smithsonian library and are separately administered. All 

 of these are placed at the service of advanced students and specialists. 



