REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 61 



her of cards, 20,223, is the number of societies and individuals, botli domestic and 

 foreign, with which the lixchange Office has had rehations since January 1, 1«92. 

 The new list of correspondents is classified as follows: 



New list sinoo Jan- 

 uary 1,1892. 



Foreign. Domestic. 



Societies and institutions . 

 Individuals 



Total 



6,991 

 8,619 



1,620 

 2,993 



15,610 



4,613 



The actual count of the list of correspondents printed in 1886, together with all 

 the additions made since, gives 9,212 foreign societies; of which, however, 2,221 are 

 not as yet represented upon the new ledger cards. The accompanying map will 

 convey most clearly an idea of the wide distribution of these correspondents. 



The entire record tile of the Exchange Office contains the names of approximately 

 13,500 individuals and 11, .500 institutions; and, although a considerable number of 

 these represent defunct institutions or individuals, their registry with a statement 

 of this fact is often of very great value in the Exchange Service. 



Attention has been directed for sometime past to the fact that the list of corre- 

 spondents in the p]xchauge Office requires revision and recopying upon caids, the 

 original office list prepared and printed in 1886 having become so worn and so over- 

 ciowded by frequent interlineations as to be almost illegible. 



The special exchange list for the distribution of Smithsonian documents is also in 

 need of revision and correction. It was prepared many years ago, and not a few of the 

 libraries to which it was deemed proper at the time to send these publications have 

 sunk into obscurity, while many new libraries have been established to which it 

 seems desirable that Smithsonian documents should be sent. A considerable number 

 of requests are received each year inviting an exchange of publications, or requests 

 for the completion of the Smithsonian series of docuiuents, with which it is rarely 

 practicable to comply. It is earnestly hoped, therefore, that means will be found 

 for revising this list and the general exchange list of correspondents. Either of 

 these lists present a task of considerable magnitude, and it is manifestly impossible 

 with the present force of employees — which is hardly able to keep up with the cur- 

 rent work of the Bureau — to enter upon such an undertaking at the present time. 



The last list of Smithsonian correspondents, that published in 1886, is the only 

 one to which applicants can now be referred. That a printed list of the addresses 

 of the principal learned societies and libraries of the world woiild be thoroughly 

 appreciated, the frequent inquiries made to the Exchange Office abundantly testify. 



INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE OF OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. 



Under the treaty of Brussels of 1886, the text of which was given in full in the 

 report of the Curator of Exchanges for 1887-88, the exchange of the official publi- 

 cations of the United States Government with other countries has been continued 

 by the Institution, and it now forms a very large proportion of the Bureau's work. 



The entire number of publications sent abroad during the year under the provision 

 of the act of Congress of March 2, 1867, and of the treaty above referred to, was 

 15,000, and there have been received in return 8,812 packages. The United States 

 Oovernmeut departments have forwarded to their correspondents abroad 28,285 

 packages, and have received in return 14,555 packages. The total number of 

 exchanges for government libraries has therefore been 23,367 packages received and 

 43,285 packages sent abroad, a total of 66,652 packages, or about 67 per cent of the 

 entire number handled. 



