[ 120 ] 34 



the foreign diplomatic corps, men of high attaianionts in science and let- 

 ters. Our institution will, we may hope, receive their w-armest sympathy. 

 During the sessions of Congress, there will be also a large concourse of 

 visitors from our own and other lands, M'hose interest is strong in learning, 

 and who will rejoice to find here the facilities for the gratification of their 

 favorite tastes. Tliere will thus, we may hope, grov/ up here, aside from 

 political circles, a literary influence hke that around many of the universi- 

 ties of Europe, and like that which has added so much lustre to the capi- 

 tal of Prussia. If we are true to our position, if we secure and retain the 

 confidence of that part of the community most interested in our opera- 

 tions, we shall attract the donations and bequests of a wide and ever en- 

 larging circle of the friends of science and good letters. The meagreness 

 of our public libraries has led men of wealth and of study to collect for 

 themselves, in special departtnents, private libraries quite complete within. 

 the range to whicli ihey are limited. The aggregation of these libraries, 

 as they now exist, would make perhaps a better library for research than 

 could be formed by the union of all our public collections. It is not im- 

 probable that some of tiiese will eventually be intrusted by their proprie- 

 tors to the permanent guardianship of our institution, A scholar of ade- 

 Cjuate means nowhere, excepting in his ov/n writings, presents to the 

 world so good a representation of his tastes, pursuits, and attainments, as 

 in the collections which he makes of the writings of others. His hbrary 

 shows the friends whom he chose, the companions in whom he delighted. 

 It shows the range of his sympathies and the extent and minuteness of 

 his investigations. It is the exponent of his intellectual life. It is asso- 

 ciated with his severest struggles, his best aspirations, his noblest triumphs. 

 He shrinks from the thought of its being scattered when he can no longer 

 use it, and he seeks a safe depository where it may remain — the most 

 enduring monument that can be erected to his learning and his munifi- 

 cence. 



It is upon this honorable principle in the scholar's character that our 

 hopes are four^ded. Such a depository as he seeks we wish to form here. 

 Purchases of books, even were our whole income devoted to liiem alone, 

 would never place us on an equal footing with the scholars of Europe. 

 We have, however, other reliance. If we make a beginning; if we provide 

 room, safe custody, and the proper facilities for rendering such a collec- 

 tion in the highest degree subservient to its legitimate purposes, private 

 liberality v/ill come vigorously to our aid. 



Another source to which we may look for considerable accessions to our 



.'library, a-ad one from which we have, as yet, little to report, is exchanges. 



"The publications of the several State governments are immerous, and we 



"Can, without doubt, procure most of them by exchange and donation. 



'TThe various learned societies to which we have presented copies of our 



first volume of Contributions, in thanking us for the gift, have assured us 



of their i)itention to send us their own memoirs and transactions in return. 



These will be of great value as the sources of current information in 



science and literature, and will go far towards remunerating us for the 



expense of our own publications. Even from libraries which put forth no 



regular publications, we have been promised valuable returns. 



1 herewith present a list ofall the books, maps, charts, musical compo- 

 sitions, etc., deposited in our library b)'^ authors and p'roprietors, for the 

 security of the copyriglit, in compliance with the requirement of the 

 JOth section of the act of Congress establishing the institution. The 



