806 



SCIENCE. 



[N. 8. Vol. XV. No. :i86. 



practice of every society whieli publishes 

 accounts of its work, to endeavor to build 

 up a library by exchanging its publications 

 with those of societies treating allied sub- 

 jects. The wider the scope of the society, 

 the more ambitious the scheme of the 

 library. It seems to my mind that this 

 method of procedure is not in accord with 

 existing conditions. The administrative 

 machinery of a society is not adapted to 

 manage an efficient library. The available 

 funds are, on the whole, too slender to 

 admit of adequate binding and shelving 

 of the books, not to mention the impossi- 

 bility of having the library accessible at 

 all times to every one who needs it. I do 

 not believe that a single city could be 

 found in which a publishing society exists 

 that has not a public library in which books 

 are properly cared for, and which would 

 not supply all the demands immeasurably 

 better than a scientific society could do. 

 I do not need to bring forward specific 

 examples of the complete break-down of 

 society libraries, because cases are too 

 numerous. It is only in technical or semi- 

 technical societies, which possess buildings 

 of their own, and which to a certain extent 

 partake of the character of clubs, and 

 whose fees are accordingly high, that at- 

 tempts at managing a library have been at 

 all successful. 



If it were once recognized that the ef- 

 forts of societies to build up libraries are 

 necessarily futile, and should be left to 

 Organizations established for the care of 

 books, the whole question of publication 

 and distribution of publications would as- 

 sume a new aspect. As it is now, most of 

 our societies accumulate libraries where 

 they are neither needed nor wanted, and 

 furthermore they distribute their publica- 

 tions among people to whom they are an 

 encumbrance. It should be clearly under- 

 stood that among the members of our so- 

 cieties there are a great many who join. 



not on account of any specific interest in 

 the subject of the society, but simply be- 

 cause they consider it proper to advance 

 the interests of science. Most of these 

 would much rather not receive the publica- 

 tions of our societies than be so encum- 

 bered. It is only recently that one or the 

 other society has adopted the method of 

 requiring its members to express their 

 wish to receive the publications of the so- 

 ciety before sending them. 



If the effort to build up a library, and 

 the miscellaneous distribution of publica- 

 tions were discontinued, a very consider- 

 able saving in the funds of each society 

 could be effected, and the available funds 

 for publication would be materially in- 

 creased. 



If once the accumulation of books were 

 left entirely to existing libraries, scientific 

 societies of good standing would have a 

 right to expect that each library Avould 

 subscribe to their publications ; and in this 

 manner it would be feasible to establish 

 publication on at least a partially paying 

 basis. We should not forget, however, that 

 many of our societies are not strong enough 

 to publish journals which are so important 

 that every great library would subscribe 

 for them. It seems to my mind that here, 

 moi'e than any^vhere else, is an opportunity 

 to make our work effective by better organ- 

 ization. The anthropologists of this 

 country found it advantageous to combine 

 in regard to publication. The Anthropo- 

 logical Society of Washington has published 

 for a long series of years, under heavy 

 sacrifices, the American Anthropologist. 

 In 1899 the Society gave up the journal, 

 and allowed it to become a national journal. 

 It has increased in size, and it is now sup- 

 ported as their official journal by the Wash- 

 ington Anthropological Society and by the 

 American Ethnological Society. If we 

 imagine that such concentration were to 

 take place in other societies also, many of 



