87 [ 120 J 



libraries. The project, however, has lately been discussed in England, 

 as appears from the report and minutes of'evidetice of the Select Com- 

 mittee of the House of Gommoiis on public libraries. The discussion 

 may have been suggested by the plan proposed by our institution. Be 

 this as it may, it resulted in a strong recommendation, on the part of the 

 committee, of great attention to a sijstem of catalogues, and a central col- 

 lection of catalogues — objects which would seem too obviously important io 

 require formal announcement, and yet which have been much disregarded. 

 There are few countries, indeed, where a general catalogue would be at 

 all practicable. It is not an easy task even here: bui it is not iuipossible. 

 To its accomplisliment, I liave, during the past year, devoted consider- 

 able time. 



The plan of the work I gave in my last report. On this plan, fifty- 

 five thousand titles have been prepared' from printed catalogues, and four 

 thousand have been transcribed. 



The titles must, of course, partake of the imperfections of the cata- 

 logues from which they are derived. These are neither few nor small. 

 I say this not for the purpose of finding fault with their compilers: 

 such censure would often be misplaced and unjust. The fault for inac- 

 curate catalogues is frequently attributable less to the librarians wl'io make 

 them, than to their employers, whose impatience will not brook the delay 

 necessary for the preparation of a valuable catalogue, or whose false no- 

 tions of economy lend them to select inconipetent librarians because they 

 will work cheaply, or require competent ones to perform so many other 

 duties, that they liave not time lo devote to the catalogue; or, finally, who 

 cripple and trammel them by prescribing absurd and unsuitable systems. 

 Were the original registries iu all our library catalogues satisfactory, a bet- 

 ter service could hardly be rendered to learning, in this country, than by 

 completing and printing this general catalogue. 



The work at present furnishes us v/ith a catalogue, in one alphabet, of 

 the several libraries in Washington, as well as in Cambridge. But we 

 hope that it will be found practicable, through the agency of the Smith- 

 sonian institution, to secure a general uniformity among the various libra- 

 ries in the preparation of catalogues, and to establish a system of stereo- 

 typing them by separate titles; which will enable each, library to print an- 

 nual editions of its catalogue, incorporating the tides of tlie last accessions 

 to the collection; and Mdiich will enable us, by means of tlie same ti- 

 tles, to print a general catalogue of all the libraries. The adjustment of 

 all the details of sucii a system must, of course, be the \vork of time, and 

 it may be found impracticable for us to commence the enterprise until we 

 have a printing office of our own. I 



Statistics of American Libraries. 



In my last report, I stated th.at 1 had sent lo the various librarians in 

 the country a circular letter containing queries intended to elicit import- 

 ant information respecting the public libraries. I had not then received a 

 : sufficient number of reports to warrant my presenting detailed statements. 

 During the last year I have received a large number of returns, and have 

 • collected, from various other sources, information respecting most of the 

 ipublic libraries of the United States, which I have the honor lierewith to 



