APPENDIX 6 
REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SERVICE 
Srr: I have the honor to submit the following report on the activ- 
ities of the International Exchange Service for the fiscal year ended 
June 30, 1949. 
The Smithsonian Institution is the official United States agency for 
the exchange with other nations of governmental, scientific, and lit- 
erary 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 object, “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 received for transmission during the year 
was 840,125, an increase over the previous year of 80,006. The weight 
of these packages was 796,700 pounds, a decrease of 15,489 pounds. 
The average weight of the individual package is approximately 15 
ounces, as compared with the average of the previous year of 1 pound, 
1 ounce—an indication that the various institutions have almost 
completed shipment of the material that was held during the war. 
The material received from both foreign and domestic sources for 
shipment is classified as shown in the following table: 
Classification Packages Weight 
Number Number Pounds Pounds 
United States parliamentary documents sent abroad _-_- 3955696522 sees 16956445)| = sore es Ee 
Eoblicotious received in return for parliamentary docu- 
United skates departmental documents sent abroad ___-_ 1945 080i | Paes oe 185)669))|2=-==- ee 
Publications received in return for departmental docu- 
INEM Sse es ee Taf ee Ee RC Sees [Ree OL See NEES 4.1847 | eee eS 12, 037 
Miscellaneous scientific and literary publications sent 
BDrOn Gd ee ee eee ne eee 20638874) ano 346) '632")| Sse S sla ee 
Miscellaneous scientific and literary publications re- 
eeived from abroad for distribution in the United 
States ae saree eee ee ee ee SE Mi eee 28; 659i |k--2 5 eee 65, 695 
Total esses So ae Sr ae 796, 663 43, 462 701, 845 94, 855 
Granditotal eens sews n oe ea eer ee eee! 840, 125 796, 700 
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