The Smithsonian Library 281 



Professor Jewett exhibited. 1 .... It failed .... from me- 

 chanical defects in the process, the shrinking and warping 

 of the blocks in baking, and the intractable nature of the 

 material when baked, which made the exact adjustment of 

 the blocks on the press impossible. ... It is not necessary, 

 to be a successful man, that one should be successful in every- 

 thing he undertakes. Errors, mistakes, and blunders even, 

 mark the path of all the great inventors, and the benefactors 

 of the race. One who was so full of resources and expedi- 

 ents in library economy as Professor Jewett could afford to 

 make an erroneous judgment on the process of using baked 

 clay in typography." 



The first conference of librarians which ever assembled in 

 the world was held in the city of New York, in 1853. Of 

 this convention Professor Jewett was, says Doctor Guild, 

 "to my certain knowledge the prime mover." He was the 

 president of the convention, and upon its adjournment was 

 appointed the chairman of its executive committee, and its 

 reassembling was made subject to his call. The convention 

 met on September 15, 1853, and was in session for three 

 days. In speaking of this conference Doctor Poole said: 



" Professor Jewett was the leading spirit in the call and 

 management of the convention, and its President. Indeed, 

 he may justly be ranked as the ablest and most zealous of the 

 early American reformers in the methods of library manage- 

 ment." "The convention of 1853 .... made a lasting im- 

 pression on the minds of all the librarians who were present, 

 and must be regarded as an era in American bibliography." 



Sir Anthony Panizzi, the distinguished librarian of the 

 British Museum, was invited to be present by Professor 

 Jewett, and we learn from his " Life and Correspondence," 



1 See also " Some Notes on Co-operative or Labor-Saving Methods of Printing Library 

 Catalogues," by A. Growoll, The Library J0umaI,Volume xm, 1888, page 280. 



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