Appendix III. 



REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF INTERNATIONAL 

 EXCHANGES FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1897. 



Sir: I have the honor to suhmit the following report upon the operations of the 

 Bureau of International Exchanges for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897 : 



The number of packages received from all sources for distribution during the year 

 was 81,162, or 7,716 less than during the preceding year, although the territory 

 reached by exchanges emanating from the Smithsonian Institution was increased by 

 the addition of 2,.527 names of institutions, libraries, and individuals in other coun- 

 tries than the United States, while the domestic list was increased by 567. The 

 aggregate weight of packages handled was 247,444 x>ounds. 



By reference to previous reports it will be noticed that three or four boxes of 

 United States Congressional publications have been forwarded to each of the foreign 

 national libraries every year, while but two boxes were forwarded during the fiscal 

 year ending Juno 30, 1897. One more box to each of the fifty recipients Avould have 

 made the total number of packages transmitted by the Institution equal to that of 

 the previous year. It is also worthy of note that while the number of packages was 

 less than during the preceding year, the number of boxes shipped abroad was nearly 

 one-fourth greater than during the previous year. The difference is accounted for 

 by the fact that the number of exchange packages reported as having been received 

 during the fiscal year Avere those that had been delivered to the Institution between 

 Jiily 1, 1896, and June 30, 1897, while the cases shipped during the same period con- 

 tained many tons of exchanges that had been delivered principally from United 

 States Government Departments and Bureaus during the last week of the previous 

 fiscal year, and which could not be forwarded during the same year in Avhich they 

 were received. 



The comparison of exchanges during past years shows that transmissions are 

 exceedingly variable, esi^ecially those from abroad, and Avhile during one year 

 thousands of parcels may be received from a single society for distribution in the 

 United States, no more may come from the same society for two or three years, and 

 when there may be several such instances in a single year it is easy to understand 

 that the annual statistical tables must vary to a marked degree. 



TABULAR STATEMENT OF THE WORK OF THE BUREAU. 



The work of the Bureau is succinctly given in the following table : 



Transavtions of the Bureau of I nier national Exchanges durin<j the fiscal year 1896-97. 



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