REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 23 



fulness that it can not be assumed that any series of learned transac- 

 tions is now complete or that any student can any longer find what he 

 seeks in what was once provided for his aid. I beg to recommend this 

 regrettable state of things to the notice of the Congressional Regents. 

 The present sad condition must, from the nature of the case, grow 

 yearly still worse under the present arrangement; and it seems certain 

 that, by the time the new building is ready for the books, the entire 

 collection will have its value so impaired as to be pecuniarily and oth- 

 erwise of little value in comparison with the origiual cost. The only 

 remedy still applicable would seem to lie in providing temporary quar- 

 ters for the collection under the care of the Librarian of Congress, but 

 outside of the overcrowded quarters in the Capitol. 



The labor of recording and caring for the accessions to the library 

 has been carried on as during the last fiscal year, with this exception? 

 that, the work being now thoroughly organized, it has been practicable 

 to dispense with the services of one of the three clerks previously em- 

 ployed in this department. 



The construction of additional cases in the reading-room has given 

 increased facilities for the display of periodicals, and the number of 

 serials now at the disposal of readers has arisen from 265 (as at the 

 time of my last report) to 432. The reading-room is well used by those 

 classes of readers for whom it was designed. 



The most important operation in connection with the library during 

 the year has been the commencement of the work of carrying out the 

 plan for increasing the library by systematic exchanges, which was 

 originated soon after I entered on my duties as Assistant Secretary,- at 

 the desire of Secretary Baird. 



Eealizing that there must be many scientific and technical period- 

 icals of value, especially in branches of science not directly related to 

 the work carried on at the Institution, which were not known in our 

 library, and recognizing the fact that many new publications have come 

 into existence since the last systematic attempt to procure full returns 

 for the publications distributed by the Institution, I addressed circulars 

 to three hundred gentlemen in this country who are noted for their 

 eminence in the different branches of knowledge, desiring them to 

 furnish me with lists of the scientific periodicals which were of value 

 to them in their special fields of investigation.* 



In reply to these circulars, 174 voluminous lists were received, and 

 these 1 caused to be carefully collated. The result of this collation is a 

 list of 3,600 titles, embracing, as it is believed, nearly if not quite all 

 periodical literature of importance in the various branches of knowledge, 

 exclusive of belles-lettres and the art of medicine. 



In order, however, that this list should be of any practical service to 

 the Institution, it is first necessary to learn which of these publications 

 the Institution may already possess, either in complete or imperfect 



* Copies of these circulars are to be found in Appendix 4 to my report for 1887-'88. 



