40 S. Mis. 53. 



altogether chimerical. The advantages which would result from sucb 

 an interchange would be immense. The literary and scientific labors 

 of each country would be known in their full extent, and almost simul- 

 taneously in all other countries. Would not science advance more 

 rapidly? Would not better justice be done to American genius? 



Nothing, it seems to me, could more effectually conduce to the rapid 

 progress of science and humanity, than a system which should make 

 the literary and scientific labors in each country known immediately in 

 all others. 



The books gathered would, it is true, be in but one library; but 

 books in a large public library, though chained to the shelves, are not 

 to be shut out from the w^orld. They contain ideas, Avhich entering the 

 minds of those who have access to them, there fructify, and the fruit is 

 scattered far and wide. Books, it is true, are silent and motionless : 

 they seem to produce no results. But within them is the spring of aU 

 progress, the spirit which stimulates and sustains all the activity that 

 the world of letters, of science, of politics, and of religion, manifests. 



The number of books purcluiscd during the last year is very small. 

 The money was especially desired for the successful completion of 

 enterprises undertaken by the department of active operations. Besides 

 this, the rooms temporarily occupied as a place of deposit for books 

 were, even at the beginning of the year, filled nearly to the capacity of 

 the shelves erected, and it was thought best not to incur further ex- 

 pense ibr arrangements which could not be of permanent utility. 



The selection of books lor purchase has been uniformly of such as 

 were immediately needed, not of such as might be more remotely 

 useful. It would have been preposterous to attempt with our means 

 the immediate formation of a universal library ; though we have not 

 ceased to cherish the hope and belief that a great library of reference 

 and research will ultimately be gathered here. 



Our expectations ibr the library are not limited by our immediate 

 means of purchasing books. The history of other libraries in this 

 country shows that any permanent and well located institution of the 

 kind may reasonably expect accessions by donation and bequest, in 

 proportion to the importance of its position. The more conspicuous, 

 central, and permanent the establij^hment, the more likel}' it is to 

 attract the liberal notice of those who have valuable collections to 

 bestow. 



The location of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, its 

 permanent endowment, its independence of partisan and sectarian 

 influences, the high position in the scientific world which it has already 

 achieved by its active operations, the results of the system of ex- 

 changes of which we are now enjoying but the first fruits, together 

 with the various means which have been adopted or suggested for 

 aiding other libraries and advancing bibliographical objects, conspire to 

 give prominence to the library of this Institution ; and they will, before 

 many years, render it, if not the largest and most important in the 

 country, at least a very valuable auxiliary to our national literary pro- 

 gress. We expect, however, that it will increase mostly by exchanges 

 and gifts. We may justly hope that many valuable private collections 

 of books in paiticular departments of learning will be placed here, to 



