14 EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY. 



equal if not greater importance, in regard to the future efficiency of 

 the Institution. I alhide to the transfer of the Smithson library for 

 safe -keeping and support to the library of Congress. To those who 

 have not fully considered the subject, it might, at first sight, appear 

 that this transfer of a large number of rare and valuable books from 

 the building of the Institution would be attended with serious 

 inconveniences, and be a virtual relinquishment of the control of 

 property procured at the expense of the Smithsonian fund. But it 

 will be evident, on a statement of the facts, that the advantages ac- 

 cruing to the Institution and the public from the transfer far outweigh 

 any inconvenience which may arise on account of it ; and that it will 

 tend to increase the efficiency of the funds, while it adds to the 

 security and even facilitates the general use of the library. 



Although the removal of the books renders them somewhat less 

 accessible to those engaged in study and researches at the Institution, 

 yet all the current transactions of the scientific Societies of the world, 

 which constitute the principal part of the library, will be still received 

 at the Institution. An opportunity will thus be afforded of noting their 

 contents before they are sent to the Capitol, and such books will per- 

 manently be retained as are of most constant reference. In addition 

 to this, the Institution is to have, at all times, the free use of the books of 

 the congressional library as well as those of its own, and for this pur- 

 pose, and the better accommodation of the public, the library of Congress 

 is to be open throughout the year, with the exception of a month for 

 cleaning and examination . Hence the general student, instead of being 

 debarred any important privilege, will find increased facility for re- 

 search in having access, in the same building, to both libraries. Again, 

 the east wing of the Smithsonian building, in which the books were 

 deposited, is not fire-proof, and is liable to destruction by accident or 

 the torch of the incendiary, while the rooms of the Capitol are of in- 

 combustible materials. This wing was, moreover, filled to overflowing , 

 and a more extended and secure depository could not be obtained, 

 except by another large draught on the accumulated funds intended to 

 form part of the permanent capital. Besides this, by the terms of 

 the transfer, the cost of the care, binding, and cataloguing of the 

 Smithsonian books is provided for by government, and an important 

 part of the annual income of the Institution is thus saved for other 

 purposes. 



But the advantages of the transfer are not confined to the Institu- 

 tion. The library of Congress has secured such an addition as can- 

 not be obtained by purchase, since many of the books are presents 

 from the duplicates of the old libraries of Europe, consisting of trans- 



