Report on the International Exchange 



Service 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report on the ac- 

 tivities of the International Exchange Service for the fiscal year 

 ended June 30, 1957: 



The Smithsonian Institution is the official United States agency 

 for the exchange with other nations of governmental, scientific, and 

 literary 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 

 comprehensive objective, "the diffusion of knowledge." It was later 

 designated by the United States 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 increased by 43,184 to the yearly total of 1,205,039, 

 and the weight of the packages increased by 24,841 to the yearly total 

 of 827,897 pounds. The average weight of the individual package de- 

 creased to 10.99 ounces as compared to the 11.14-ounce average for 

 the fiscal year of 1956. 



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 : 



163 



