46 ■ • Mi.-. No. 48. 



logue. From it we could readily ascertain what books there are in the 

 various public libraries, and how well each department of learning is pro- 

 vided for. We should thus be enabled to fill up our own library "vvitli a 

 more intelligent reference to the actual wants of the country. 



Such a catalogue will also enable us to direct the student to the books 

 which he may want, if they are to be found in any of our libraries. 



There will be also an incidental advantage gairjed by it of great impor- 

 tance to the department of American history and bibliography. The in- 

 stitution proposes to publish among its '' Contributions" a complete bibliog- 

 raphy of the materials of American history prior to A. D. 1700. This 

 will be one of the most valuable contributions ever ojTered to the facilities 

 for studying the early history of our country. But it is only a connnence- 

 ment. The books relating to and printed in America after 1700 are vastly 

 more numerous and certainly of great importance. They relate to the 

 period of our early struggles, to the achievement of our independence, to 

 the formation and consolidation of our government. No proper biblio- 

 grapliical survey of this wide fifld has ever yet been made. The books 

 and pamphlets relating to it were published, the larger part, perhaps, in 

 America, but many of them in Europe, and they arc now scattered far and 

 wide. Some very valuable collections have been made of them, the best 

 of which is due to the diligence, learning, and devotion of a distinguished 

 gendeman of this city.* No collection, however, that Mas yet been made 

 can be considered complete. Still we may safely say that a large propor- 

 tion of the books extant relating to this period are to be found among the 

 libraries of the United States. One great difficulty heretofore encountered 

 by oiu' bibliographers has been to ascertain where they are preserved. 

 Many libraries have no printed catalogues; of others the catalogues are far 

 in arrears. From our proposed general catalogue it will be easy to fmd 

 every book of this description which is preserved in any of our collections, 

 and to ascertain at a glance the place of its deposite. 



I have made, of course, but a commencement on this work. To bring it 

 to completion will be the labor of more than another year. ^ 



In conclusion, I may add that the plans in operation for the library 

 will, it is hoped, soon render it a valuable aid to American scholarship. 

 Its sphere is c|uiet and unobtrusive, but none the less useful. Ere long it 

 is destined, we hope, to rank among the largest, the best selected, and the 

 most available literary treasure-houses of the world. Wherever such a 

 collection is formed, be it in a large metropolis or a provincial town, thither 

 students will resort. They will soon give tone and character to society 

 around. Even in the great emporium of commerce, under the overshad- 

 owing power of trade, its intluence would soon be recognized. Here, at 

 the political centre of the nation, where assemble her statesmen and her 

 orators, under a benignant sky, amid scenes consecrated in her history, a 

 spot as accessible as any other from all parts of the country, is the most fa- 

 vorable location fora great library. Such a library will attract hither our 

 scholars, now pursuing their investigations in Europe, or mourning at 

 home over i^oble projects abandoned before the necessity of so long and 



* I allude to the library of Colonel Peter Force. It contains more than 20,000 books, with 

 large nunnbers of manuscripts, pamphlets, handbills, maps, &c., mostly relaiing to American 

 history — an invaluable collection, one of the chief ornaments of our city, whure we trust it will 

 ever remain. 



