The Smithsonian Library 301 



phlet delivered to a sectional library is receipted for, the 

 receipt cards being so arranged as themselves to form a 

 catalogue of the sectional library. The curator or officer in 

 charge of each department is responsible for each book de- 

 livered to him, and his receipt therefor is held by the libra- 

 rian. All general books of reference, all works relating to 

 explorations, and all serials devoted to more than one subject 

 are kept in the central library. The librarian may at any 

 time recall any book from a sectional library, and a person 

 coming to the central library to use a book which is in a 

 sectional library can get it almost as readily as though it 

 were actually on the shelves ; so that the sectional libraries 

 are, in fact, little else than alcoves distributed around the 

 building, each one in charge of a specialist whose interest 

 in his own department aids materially in the growth of the 

 whole library, while the control of these sections is absolute, 

 and no general interest suffers because of this specialization. 



Realizing that in the near future it may be desirable 

 that many important works belonging to the Institution 

 (which it has been found more convenient, in view of the 

 crowded condition of the Library of Congress, to care for at 

 the Museum and the Institution) may be sent to the new 

 library building, the Museum has made a steady effort to 

 develop an independent library for the use of its scientific 

 staff; but no clashing has ever taken place, and the entire 

 work proceeds on a uniform plan, under entire cooperation. 



It is thus manifest that the Smithsonian Institution, while 

 not unmindful of the demands of general literature, and even 

 art, has been steadily collecting the periodical literature of 

 the world. It aims to gather from all quarters the memoirs 

 of learned societies, the publications of museums, institutions, 

 academies, and of scientific departments of government. 

 Other libraries in America devote themselves to special sub- 

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