Jakuaet 26, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



131 



an astronomical observatory in the southern 

 hemisphere and (2) a laboratory for geo- 

 physical research. Referring to 'Year 

 Books' 1 and 2, therefore, for voluminous 

 details with reference to the history of these 

 projects, it is desired here to commend them 

 as worthy of favorable action by the board 

 of trustees as soon as the essential funds 

 are available. 



With regard to new projects in general it 

 appears fitting here to call attention to the 

 desirability of allotting ample time for the 

 preparation of plans and specifications and 

 to the necessity of allotting ample time for 

 their execution. The inevitable dangers 

 that confront a research institution are 

 dilettanteism and haste for results. Thor- 

 ough deliberation in preparation and ener- 

 getic patience in execution are indispensable 

 to the highest success of such projects. 



Since the query whether different depart- 

 ments of research are likely to be equally 

 promoted by the institution is often raised, 

 it seems worth while to remark that it is an 

 obvious duty of the executive conunittee to 

 select those projects which give highest ex- 

 pectations of adequate returns. Projects 

 of this kind are generally susceptible of 

 denite specifications as to ways, means and 

 objects. At present, however, judging 

 from the great inequalities in definiteness 

 of the projects submitted to the institution, 

 it must be much easier to formulate plans 

 for good work in some sciences than in 

 others. Hence, quite irrespective of per- 

 sonal prepossessions, it seems best, in this 

 ease, to follow lines of least resistance, pro- 

 moting chiefly those departments of re- 

 search which promise sure returns, while 

 seeking at all times to raise the less highly 

 developed to the level of the more highly 

 developed sciences. 



Suggestions on Distribution of 

 Publications. 

 A difficulty which is likely to beset the 



institiition in the near future is that of a 

 just and equitable distribution of its publi- 

 cations. Society has only lately emerged 

 from a period when libraries were main- 

 tained chiefly for librarians and book- 

 binders and when every scholar was either 

 his own librarian or a bibliophile. Along 

 with this laissez faire system there grew up 

 also a system of exchanges, especially be- 

 tween learned academies and men of learn- 

 ing ; but the number of such academies and 

 individuals was until lately quite small and 

 well within the limits of a possible free dis- 

 tribution or exchange of publications. In 

 recent decades, however, the number of 

 institutions maintaining libraries and the 

 number of individuals desiring access to 

 publications have greatly increased. The 

 needs of individuals, it must be said, have 

 been admirably met in a general way by 

 the facilities afforded in all of the great 

 libraries of the world, so that the worker 

 with books can no longer afford to be his 

 own librarian any more than he can afford 

 to be his own banker. Nevertheless, the 

 demand for a free distribution of books 

 has increased to an extent far surpassing 

 the increase in effective libraries-and effect- 

 ive workers with books. This demand has 

 grown to large proportions in the United 

 States especially, partly by reason of the 

 broadcast distribution of public documents. . 



Questioning the wisdom of an indis- 

 criminate distribution of the publications 

 of the institution, the provisional rules 

 given on page 128 above were drawn 

 along conservative lines. The experience 

 of the year, however, shows that great pres- 

 sure will soon be brought to bear on the 

 institution by individuals and by smaller 

 libraries desiring to be placed on the free 

 omnia list. Since drawing up such a list, 

 which embraces about three hundred of the 

 leading libraries of the world, an attempt 

 has been made to prepare various special 

 lists of institutions and individuals to 



