58 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



preferable, and more consonant with the purposes of the Institution, 

 to form a special library, which might constitute, as it were, a sup- 

 plement to the library of Congress, and consist, for the most part, 

 of complete sets of the proceedings and transactions of all the learned 

 societies in the world, and of other serials essential for reference by 

 students specially engaged in original scientific research. The efforts 

 of the Institution to carry out this plan, which has since been sanc- 

 tioned by Congress, have been eminently successful. Principally 

 through exchanges, and occasionally by purchase, a more complete 

 collection of the works above mentioned has been procured than is 

 to be found in any library of the United States, or is easily met with 

 even in Europe. The Institution has been assisted in making this 

 collection by the liberality of many of the older libraries abroad, which, 

 on application, have furnished from their duplicates volumes and even 

 whole sets to complete series of works long since out of print, and 

 which, in some cases, could not have been obtained through any 

 other means. The library is also quite rich in monographic or special 

 treatises in the physical and natural sciences, lacking as yet, it is true, 

 some of the more expensive volumes, but still affording the means of 

 prosecuting almost any scientific investigation. One specialty con- 

 sists of the large number of maps and charts obtained by exchange 

 from geographical and hydrographical establishments. &c. This col- 

 lection is as complete as any in the country. 



No effort is spared to render the library of the Institution condu- 

 cive to the advance of science. Two editions of the catalogue of 

 serial works have already been published, and a third is now in press; 

 this will probably fill four hundred octavo pages, and will be com- 

 pleted in the course of the present year, to be followed by a cata- 

 logue of the special works. 



As in most libraries of special character, and, indeed, in most large 

 public libraries, the public are allowed free access to the library-room 

 during office hours, but are not generally permitted to take books 

 away. When, however, any applicant is known to be engaged in 

 the prosecution of original investigations, which promise to advance 

 science, and requires the assistance of books found in the Smithsonian 

 library, they are freely lent, even to persons in the remote portions of 

 the United States. Any losses which may occur by the adoption of 

 this course arc more than compensated by the advantages derived 

 from it. 



Congress had provided by the law of organization that a copy of 

 all copyright works should be presented to the library of this Institu 



