JOURNAL OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. 477 



Besides these, about 1,200 volumes have been deposited with the Institution by Mr. 

 Marsh, and now form a part of our literary apparatus. 



About 900 volumes, 100 pieces of music, 30 maps and charts have been deposited 

 by authors or publishers for the security of copyright. 



These have been acknowledged, as well as all books presented to the Institution, 

 the number of which I cannot at this moment state. 



The copyright books, &c, have been carefully and fully catalogued, on cards, with 

 the necessary cross references. 



Of the copyright books, the full title has, in all cases, been recorded verbatim tt 

 literatim, though the titles are frequently of great length. This is supposed to be 

 but justice to the authors and publishers who send their books. The record, for their 

 sakes, should be full and perfect. It is proper to remark that the number of books, 

 Bent for security of copy, has greatly increased. If we should publish monthly lists, 

 for circulation, and make arrangements for publishers to send without expense, we 

 should doubtless receive all, or nearly all, books copyrighted in the country. 



All the books, not fully catalogued, have been entered in descriptive lists, to be 

 presented to the Board at their annual meeting. 



The progress on the general catalogue of all American libraries, has been about as 

 follows : All the titles of the Cambridge Public Library Catalogue, and supplement 

 of the Cambridge Law Library Catalogue, and of the Congress Library Catalogue, 

 with all the supplements up to the present year, have been mounted on cards. Be- 

 sides these, the titles of the libraries of the State Department, "War Department, and 

 their bureaus, and of the Patent Office, complete to 1843, (since which time but few 

 additions have been made,) have been transcribed from lists found on file in the office 

 of the Secretary of the Senate. The number of titles thus written is about 2,500. 



The number of titles of the general catalogue, prepared up to the present time, 

 may be thus stated : 



Printed titles, say 58,000 



Transcribed, say 2,500 



"Written for our own Library, say 1,500 



Total 62,000 



As soon, therefore, as the library is moved into the west wing, and there is room to 

 arrange their titles, we can ofi'er for general reference, a catalogue, in one alphabetical 

 arrangement, of all the principal libraries in this city, and in the larger collections of 

 Cambridge. The whole containing, perhaps, two-thirds of the different books of all 

 the public libraries of America. 



All this labor could not, of course, be done, besides attending to the other duties of 

 my office, without much assistance. This will be manifest when it is remembered 

 that in the Koyal Library of Paris, the British Museum, and other similar establish- 

 ments in Europe, it has been found by experience that one man can catalogue on an 

 average not more than fifty titles per diem. 



The written cards have been prepared by Mr. Kussell, and they amount to more 

 than four thousand in number. Besides this, Mr. Kussell has filled all the copyright 

 certificates, and assisted in the other work of the library. 



Information respecting American Libraries. — I have received about one hundred 

 and fifty official reports from librarians, and a large number of letters, in reply to 

 letters from myself, besides the printed catalogues. 



I hope to be able to present to the Board, at their next meeting, full " Notes on 

 the Public Libraries of the United States," with comparative statistics of foreign 

 libraries. 



Kespectfully submitted. C. C. JEWETT. 



Propositions. — Important improvements have lately been made in the instruments 

 of astronomical observations that would greatly facilitate the labors of Lieutenant 

 Gilliss, and enable him to perform a much larger amount of work in the same time ; 

 and it has been suggested whether the Institution ought not to procure for him these 

 improved instruments, in anticipation of an appropriation of Congress. 



Professor Mitchell has requested the aid of the Institution, in making a catalogue 

 of stars visible at the Cincinnati Observatory. The Secretary has informed him that 

 the sum he requires is beyond the present means of the Institution to grant. 



Subscription to the Astronomical Journal. — A new Astronomical Journal has been 

 recommended by the American Association, and established at Cambridge, Massachu- 



