PROPOSED APPLICATIONS OF SMITHSON'S BEQUEST. 959 



alliances with the librarians as will be indispensable in making the library 

 of the institution, in conformity with the suggestion of Dr. Bache, a sup- 

 plemental one, and a centre of bibliographical reference. Some libraries 

 possess printed catalogues complete nearly down to the present time ; others 

 are several years behindhand. It will be necessary to procure manuscript 

 catalogues in continuation of those which have been printed, and to make 

 arrangements for receiving, from month to month, or from j^ear to year, 

 lists of all future accessions. These supplementary catalogues should all be 

 j)repared on a uniform plan. The titles should be written on cards of the 

 same size, so that they may be placed together in one alphabetical arrange- 

 ment, in order to facilitate research. A mark placed on the back of each 

 card will designate the library from which it came. Now, in every library 

 with which we are in correspondence some one must be eniploj'ed to do 

 this. It would be merely clerk's labor, where the catalogues are properly 

 kept, and no doubt the librarian or assistant might, in every case, be in- 

 duced to undertake it for a small compensation. 



2. The next thing to be done will be to make arrangements for procuring 

 the books to which we are entitled by the 10th section of the charter of the 

 institution. Unless something be done, this provision, in course of time, 

 will bring in comparatively few books in a year. I have no doubt that 

 publishers generally would readily send their books, if the subject were 

 properly presented to them, and arrangements made by which they could 

 transmit them to Washington without subjecting the institution or them- 

 selves to expenses altogether disproportioned to the value of the books. 

 It has occurred to me that perhaps the several district clerks might be in- 

 duced to attend to the business ; it is perhaps legally their duty to do so, 

 but I suppose it would be unsafe to rely upon their performing faithfully 

 such an unexpected duty, unless they received for it some additional com- 

 pensation. Besides this, a circular might be printed and sent to publishers, 

 getting forth the advantages which would result directly to the cause of 

 letters, and indirectly to themselves, from compliance with this require- 

 ment. By these means I think we should obtain nearly all the publications 

 of importance issued from the American press. 



3. The selection of books for the first purchase must be made. This will, 

 I suppose, comprise three classes of works: 1. Those which may be imme- 

 diately needed in the scientific department ; 2. Bibliographical works and 

 descriptions, histories and catalogues of similar institutions; and 3. The 

 general collection, consisting of the memoirs, transactions, and journals of 

 the learned societies of Europe and America. These three classes of books 

 will form a library quite unique, and one of great utility. The catalogue, 

 if it be made with fullness and accuracy, will be a valuable publication. I 

 think, further, that a somewhat extended list of books should be made out 

 for future purchases. These lists should be intrusted to honest and faithful 

 men in some of the principal book marts of Europe, with orders to buy the 

 books whenever they can find them, at say one-half ihe ordinary prices. In 

 this way we should obtain at very low prices great numbers of the books 

 which we shall want. Of course, the same list should not be left with difi"erent 

 men. The work should be done with care, and by consultation with the 

 best scholars in the country. It will be difficult to find the necessary biblio- 

 graphical helps. The best collection of them in the country is in the library 

 of the Brown University, but this is very imperfect. 



4. The first purchases are to be made, and the arrangement for future 

 purchases. These, of course, should not be commenced until the lists are 

 as far completed as they can judiciously be in this country. 



5. Another subject contemplated in the programme of organization, and 

 which should receive immediate attention, is the procuring of copies of some 

 of the most celebrated works of art. It will probably be best to confine the 

 purchases at first principally to plaster casts of some of the finest specimens 

 of ancient and modern statuary. These can be procured very cheap, and 

 convey, of course, a perfect representation of the original. I have no doubt 



