The Smithsonian Library 285 



Of the catalogue of Bowdoin College library, 1863, which 

 was compiled mostly in accordance with Professor Jewett's 

 rules, Mr. Sabin says that it was a model catalogue. "Our 

 profession," says Doctor Poole, "is a debtor to Professor 

 Jewett for his early and scholarly services in bibliography 

 and in library economy"; and Mr. W. I. Fletcher, the 

 accomplished librarian of Amherst College, mentions him as 

 one of the five librarians who " should be held in everlasting 

 remembrance." ^ 



During the twenty years of the existence of the American 

 Library Association hardly a conference has passed at which 

 his name has not been mentioned with a full appreciation of 

 his services. 



Professor Jewett was then, by common consent, one of the 

 most active librarians of his time ; the originator of much of 

 the system of methodical practice in library work which is 

 now so generally adopted in the United States, and is begin- 

 ning to be regarded with favor in the countries of Europe. 

 Under his care the Smithsonian collection grew, in six years, 

 to 32,000 volumes. He was one of the first imbued with the 

 spirit of cooperation, out of which so much valuable library 

 work has grown, and to which all the hope of future biblio- 

 graphical work turns. 



The decided indorsement by Congress of the policy pur- 

 sued by Professor Fienry marked, in a certain way, an epoch 

 in the history of the Institution, releasing it from the obliga- 

 tion of creating a great library, as one of its main objects. 

 Indeed, its more active cooperation with the library of Con- 

 gress was foreshadowed at this time. One of the sources of 

 the increase of the library was the copyright system. At 

 one time, the Institution was actually charged with the 

 granting of copyrights, and it published, in good bibliograph- 



1 " Public Libraries in America." Boston, 1894, page 80. 

 19* 



