90 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1911. 
There are now in the United States 3,900 institutions and 8,000 individuals 
recorded in this index, while the foreign institutions number 16,500 and indi- 
viduals 34,252. <A list of the foreign societies and institutions is published 
from time to time under the title of ‘‘ International exchange list,” the latest 
issue being that of 1904. 
The public documents received from abroad in exchange are placed in the 
Library of Congress. The publications received from the scientific and learned 
societies and institutions of the world form an important part of the Library 
of the Smithsonian Institution, and while these remain the property of the 
Institution they are in great part deposited in the Library of Congress. 
The needs of the international exchanges under present conditions may be 
summarized as follows: The adherence of all the civilized nations of the 
world to the present conventions. The members of the Congress of Archivists 
and Librarians can do much to further the movement by lending their efforts 
to arouse the interest of the scientific and literary institutions and societies 
and governmental authorities in their respective countries, to the end that 
official action may be taken. The scientific institutions and societies of each 
country should examine the workings of the international exchange system 
and solicit exchange of publications from like societies abroad, using the 
service as a medium of transmission. 
Governments should provide a sufficient number of sets of their official 
publications for exchange purposes in order that each country may have a 
full set if desired, and in addition there should be copies of the official journals 
of the Parliaments, or similar bodies, for the interparliamentary exchanges. 
Bureaus already established, as well as those to be established, should be 
granted an appropriation that will allow the carrying out in full of the stipu- 
lations of the conventions. A well-paid and energetic staff with a well-equipped 
office would insure expeditious work and prompt delivery. ‘The present facilities 
for rapid transportation would be greatly increased by each international 
exchange office having the franking privilege, such as is allowed in the United 
States, dnd the granting of special concessions by the postal authorities, through 
the International Postal Union, which could possibly be arranged should every 
nation become a party to the present conventions. 
The international exchanges should be extended to every quarter of the 
globe, and efforts should be made to bring the powers to realize the necessity 
of perfecting an institution already established which has for its object the 
“inerease and diffusion of knowledge among men.” 
I gave a résumé of the contents of the above paper and was asked for some 
resolution which could be passed by the congress incorporating a suggestion con- 
tained in the paper “that the members of the Congress of Archivists and Li- 
brarians could do much to further the movement by lending their efforts to 
arouse the interest of the scientific and literary institutions and societies and 
governmental authorities* in their respective countries, to the end that official 
action may be taken.” 
The resolution was presented in English, translated into French, and again 
translated into English, and appears as follows in the Library Journal: 
That the scientific and literary institutions, as well as the governmental au- 
thorities of all countries, should unite their efforts to obtain the official pro- 
vision for international exchanges.—VI. Q. 7. International Exchanges (Paul 
Brockett, Washington). 
Regarding the use of the exchange service by private institutions, M. Langlois, 
Bibliothécaire-en-chef de l’Institut Catholique, of Paris, having experienced some 
difficulty in sending packages from France, presented the following resolution : 
That the international exchanges should be accorded, liberally and in the in- 
terest of all workers, to establishments of private initiative (libraries of free in- 
stitutions and learned societies), which conform to the general regulations and 
provide reciprocity.—VII. Q. 7. (M. Langlois, Paris, as amended by M. Gros- 
jean, Bruxelles. ) 
