78 



ANNUAL, REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1924 



documents for deposit in the Library of Congress. The term " de- 

 partmental documents" embraces publications delivered at the In- 

 stitution by the various governmental departments, bureaus, or com- 

 missions for distribution to their correspondents abroad. Publica- 

 tions received in return are deposited in the various departmental 

 libraries. "Miscellaneous scientific and literary publications" are 

 received chiefly from learned societies, universities, colleges, scienti- 

 fic institutions, and museums in the United States for transmission 

 to similar establishments in all parts of the world. 



The number and weight of the packages of different classes are 

 indicated in the following table: 



As mentioned in previous reports, the disparity between the num- 

 ber of publications transmitted abroad and those received in return 

 is not as great as appears from the above figures. Packages sent 

 abroad contain in many instances only a single publication, while 

 those received in return often comprise several volumes. Further- 

 more, some foreign establishments send their publications directly 

 to their destinations in this country by mail instead of through 

 exchange channels. 



During the year the State Department notified the Institution that 

 the Government of Hungary had adhered to the two exchange con- 

 ventions concluded at Brussels in 1886 and had established the 

 Hungarian Libraries Board at Budapest to carry out the provi- 

 sions of those conventions. The board was not fully established at 

 the close of the year, but will be ready to assume its duties as the 

 Hungarian Exchange Agency about October 1, 1924, when the 

 agency in Budapest conducted by the Institution for many years 

 will be discontinued. Dr. Julius Pikler, who has been the Smith- 

 sonian agent since July 1, 1906, has carried on the work to the entire 



