30 TENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF 



It lias before been observed that the Smithsonian library is intended 

 to be a special one, as complete as possible in Transactions and all 

 works of science. There is now in the city of Washing^'on tlie large 

 miscellaneous library of Congress and a city library of ten thousand 

 volumes. Besides these, are the libraries of Georgetown College and 

 of the several executive departments^ and the invaluable collection of 

 "works i^ertaining to America, belonging to Peter Force, esq. The 

 latter, with commendable liberality on the part of its enlightened 

 owner, is open to the use of all who are engaged in research with 

 reference to the speciality to which it pertains ; and we trust that 

 means will be provided by the general government to secure this col- 

 lection in case of its ever being exposed to the danger of disj)ersion. 

 Washington is, therefore, better supplied with miscellaneous books 

 than any other city of the same size in the Union, and it can 

 scarcely be considered necessary, or even just, to expend any portion 

 of the income of the small fund intended for the good of mankind 

 generally, in duplicating collections already to be found in the same 

 city. Indeed it would be well if in every city of this country arrange- 

 ments could be made by which each library should aim to be as com- 

 plete as possible in certain branches ; and we are pleased to learn that 

 this policy has been adopted in the formation of tlie Astor library, 

 the superintendent of which, in purchasing the rare books which it 

 contains, having given a preference to such as were not to be found in 

 any other collection in the city of New York. 



To assist in rendering available the several libraries of the country, 

 it has from the first been an object of the Institution to collect a com- 

 plete set of their catalogues, and it is believed it now possesses a more 

 extensive collection of this kind than is to be found elsewhere. Any 

 person desiring to ascertain where a book may be obtained, can in 

 most cases acquire the knowledge desired by addressing the Secretary 

 of the Smithsonian Institution. At the last session of Congress an 

 act was passed authorizing the transmission free of postage of articles 

 entered for copyright. The effect of this law has been to diminish 

 considerably the expense to which the Institution had been subjected 

 in receiving books of this kind. Still there is a class of books on 

 which postage is cliarged, namely, all those we receive in exchange 

 through the mail for our own publications, including the laws and 

 legislative documents of the several States. On the whole, the law 

 relative to the deposite of works intended for copyright has thus far 

 been of no real benefit ; for the expense of clerk-hire, certificates, and 

 shelf-room, would far exceed the value of all the books received in 

 this way. While-school books, works intended for cliildren, and the 

 lighter and more worthless publications of the day, are forwarded to 

 us, the larger and more valuable productions of the American press 

 are often withheld. The principal office of these books has been to 

 swell the number of volumes contained in the library, and in some 

 respects to satisfy those who desire a large number of books rather 

 than a choice collection. The process of cataloguing the library of 

 Congress, in accordance with the plan proposed by this Institution, 

 has been carried on under the direction of Professor Jillson, of Co- 

 lumbian College. The number of titles prepared is 15,885, with 



