Report on the International Exchange 
Service 
Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report on the activities 
of the International Exchange Service for the fiscal year ended June 
30, 1959: 
The Smithsonian Institution is the official United States agency for 
the exchange with other nations of governmental, scientific, and liter- 
ary publications. The International Exchange Service, initiated by 
the Smithsonian Institution in the early years of its existence for the 
interchange of scientific publications between learned societies and 
individuals in the United States and those of foreign countries, serves 
as a means of developing and executing in part the broad and com- 
prehensive objective, “the diffusion of knowledge.” It was later 
designated by the U.S. Government as the agency for the transmission 
of official documents to selected depositories throughout the world, 
and it continues to execute the exchanges pursuant to conventions, 
treaties, and other international agreements. 
The number of packages of publications received for transmission 
during the year was 1,129,476, an increase of 34,678 packages over the 
previous fiscal year. The weight of the packages received was 767,389 
pounds, an increase of 24,060 pounds. 
The average weight of the individual package was 10.87 ounces as 
compared to the 10.86-ounce average for the fiscal year of 1958. 
The publications received from foreign sources for addressees in 
the United States and from domestic sources for shipment abroad are 
classified as shown in the following table: 
Classification Packages Weight 
Number Number Pounds Pounds 
U.S. parliamentary documents sent abroad__--__------- 6265465) |Peaeneae aoe 226 MO) | eee eee 
Publications received in return for parliamentary 
GOCUMeCN tS Bee ease earn ore eee aaa see eee eae ee see see Blt) |Saoeense a 10, 325 
U.S. departmental! documents sent abroad_-_----_------ 239; 40s [oe oo 218596 le | eee 
Publications received in return for departmental 
GOCUM CH tS! seen sess e sees een ean asasenceeeanenscena| aaa ssaseee 55146) |2 = ee 13, 059 
Miscellaneous scientific and literary publications sent 
abroad. .-caet ol bei be se trtews 2 ete bh ce TSO 721s oekt oe eee 199: 414. ose coos 
Miscellaneous scientific and literary publications 
received from abroad for distribution in the United 
States £2¢ sss 22 sone Ao ee ee an eee ae 62; 968)" ass. Say 100, 211 
Total. -.-- 2+. .2e See cae Mowe ss 289. est 1, 055, 587 738, 889 648, 794 123, 595 
Granditotali- sia ee eos oes Se es ok eee sect one 1, 129, 476 767, 389 
197 
