THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. 29 



of societies which they are able to supply, it seems advisable to furnish 

 our agents in Europe with lists of the volumes which we possess, and 

 authorize them to purchase, as opportunities may occur, the volumes 

 that are wanting. 



The "Notices of Public Libraries," prepared with considerable 

 labor, and published three years ago by the Smithsonian Institution, is 

 still almost daily called for, though about 6,000 copies, printed by 

 Congress and by the Institution, have been distributed. Very few 

 copies remain on hand. Since the book was published, a large amount 

 of additional matter has been received. There is a great demand for 

 information of this kind, and it seems desirable to issue a new and 

 enlarged edition of the Notices. It has been impossible for me, during 

 the past year, to gain time lor this work Irom the daily duties of the 

 library, and the unremitted labor which the superintendence of the 

 catalogue system has imposed upon me. 



The National Convention of Librarians and Bibliographers, which 

 met in New York in September last, deserves to be particularly noticed 

 in this report, on account of the frequent reference there made to the 

 position and operations of the Smithsonian library, as well as on account 

 of its importance to all libraries, and to the general interests of litera- 

 ture in this country. It was composed of more than eighty delegates, 

 representing forty-seven libraries in all parts of the country, from Maine 

 to California. 



It is gratifying to know that the services of the Smithsonian Institu- 

 tion, in the department of bibliography, were fully recognised by this 

 convention in the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted: 



"Resolved, That the thanks of this convention be presented to the 

 Board of Regents and officers of the Smithsonian Institution for their 

 steady and effective efforts for the increase and diffusion of knowledge 

 among men ; and particularly for the measures which they have adopted 

 for the encouragement and promotion of the public libraries of our 

 country; and we have great pleasure in looking to that Institution as 

 the central establishment of the United States for the furtherance of all 

 such objects." 



The convention also passed the following resolutions relative to the 

 great central library of reference and research which it has been the 

 intention of Congress to establish at the Smithsonian Institution: 



'■'■Resolved, That the establishment of a great central library for 

 reference and research, while it is demanded by the condition of the 

 United States as to general civilization and intellectual advancement, 

 is especially interesting to this convention from the bearing it would 

 have upon libraries throughout the country. 



"Resolved, That we deem such an establishment as being eminently 

 worthy of support from the national treasury; and that in no way 

 can the government better promote the progress of learning through 

 the whole country, than by placing a central national library under the 

 administration of the Smithsonian Institution." 



Among the topics which received particular attention at this conven- 

 tion was the preparation of a convenient manual as a guide to the 

 organization of library societies, the collection of libraries, and their 

 proper management. A committee was appointed to digest the plan 



