Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-12-27

about IS, goo pamphlets. OF this aggregate, the
law department of the Library contains 81 100
| volumes. At the corresponding date of the Lac
year (is72) the Library contained 2i6 ,3i5 vol
umes, thus showing an increase during the year
Of twelve thousand four hundred and seven
volumes.
The accessions of the year were derived from
| the various sources named below
| Books. Pamphlets
By purchase. ................ 6,2I9 $50
BY copyright excluding du-
BY deposit ofthe Smithsonian
By presentation. ............. 5l4 go
BY exchange. $3.50 800
The number and designation of articles
ceived at the Library under the laws which
will be found below:-Books, 6,254; periodicals,
| 5,0s6; musical compositions, 5,007; dramatic
compositions, 50; photographs, got; engravings
| and chromoe, 954; maps and charts 4Gs; prints,
| of articles, % 1916.
As the law requires the deposit of two copies
Of each publication protected by copyright, the
/ aciual number of separate articles received,
excluding duplicates was IL 1913, of which there
were 3, 1i1 volumes of books, and ,5i3 periodi-
calls.
The whole number of copyrights entered
during the year ended December 1, 1873, was
,S,sS2, and the amount paid into the Treasury
account Of copyright fees. was Si3,f 80.
The entries exceed those of the prece ding
III
| fees are increased to the amount of Si,I905s
over those Of last year.
The unexpended balances of funds under
charge OF the Joint Com mittee on the Library
were as follows December 1, 1873: Fund foT in
crease of library, SIC, ISIS; fund for contingent
expenses OF library, 81, s53 9O fund for expenses
Of exchanging public documents, Al 30; fund
for a plan for library building, "a ssi 80; fund
for purchase and printing Of unpublished his
| torical documents relating to the early French
discoveries in the northwest and on the Missis-
| sippi, SO 900; fund for ornamenting the Capt.
| tol with.works Of art SIS, p; fund for por-
traits of Presidents of the United States, g. $780,
| fund for completion of three volumes of Wilkes
| United States exploring expedition, S6S5s.96;
fund for salaries in botanic garden and green
| houses, 81 ,5i44l; fund for improving buildings,
| &c, in botanic garden, SO ,69935: fund for i'm
| proving botanic garden and greenhouses,
| / respectfully renew the recommendation,
made IN my last report, that the copyright law
| be so amended as more clearly to define the
| articles which shall be lawful subjects of copy
right. Under the present statute, the vague
designation OF ''prints' has always been made
TO cover printed labels for use on articles of
manufacture. An amendment OF the law, ex-
GLIDING these things from the protection OF copy
right, Ito which they clearly have no proper
relation and providing for their registry in
future at the Patent Office, was approved by TIE
JOINT Committee on the Library, and reported
fsvorably to the House of Representatives by
the Committee on Patents at the last sessio o;
Congress. In the pressure OF public busia ess,
however. ii failed to become a law.
The collection OF the English county histo-
mes, for which special appropriation was
made in the last Congress, has been sue sess-
iully proceeded with, and all but seven, out of
the forty counties OF England, are now repre-
sented in the Library, besides many OF the town
histories. and the local histories and genealo-
gies of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The
great interest Of these works, and their value as
calculating the history and genealogy OF that
country from which most American families
derive their origin, together with the fact that
the most extensive county histories were printed
In email numbers and are constantly rising IN
price, render this a wise and timely purchase.
Ii is satisfactory to add that the cost Of the col
lection Including what were already in the Ii
brary) will come within the limits OF the appro-
priatiOn of five thousand dollars.
The large copyright business, placed in ex
elusive charge of this Office since 1870. continue
TO be transacted with promptitude, within the
very limited quarters at my disposal. Ad1i
tiODal space. however, for these numerous and
valuable records, and for the clerical bushes
involved, has become an absolute necessity
Already the larger portion of the original re.
cords OF copyright have TO be kept in dark
store-room, ed by two flights OF stairs from
the library, involving great loss OF time in the
constant references that must be made.
The urg mt necessity for more room for the
protection and arrangement OF the great and
OveTfi0wing Library under my charge is again
brought to the attention OF the committee. The
tional, but are likely to be repeated, if not
exceeded, in the annual growth OF tins Library,
which Is the emily one national in its character,
and eu,S ing the benefit Of steadily increasing
&C cessions through the law Of copyright, as well
as the deposits Of the library v, the Smithsonlan
Inst tuition. The undersigned will no. repeat
the statements so fully made in his last report,
setting forth the impossibility of any permanent
provision for the Library and copyright DEPART
ment within the Capitoi, even with any enlarge
ment Of that building which could be agreed
upon. Inc accommodations Of collection of
poOKs now numbering over quarter of mil
lion, and which in less than twenty years will
outnumber half a million, while at no remote
period it will very largely exceed one million
volumes, together with the annually increasing
importance of the copyright department as AN
office of public record, plainly demands the
erection OF separate building specially de-
signed for a great public library, and adel uate
to the require ments of its manifold depart
ments. This will not supersede the necessity
OF retaining in the Capitol sufi GENTLY extern
sive selected library for legislative and judicial
use. By the act of March 3, 1873, Congress au-
thoriZed commission. consisting OF the chair
man Of the Joint COMMITTEES on the Library,
the chairman of the Committee on Public
Buildings and Grounds on the part Of the SEN
ate, and the librarian OF Congress, a plan
for new building for the library of Con-
gress, with an appropriation of five thousand
dollars to procure architectural designs, and
with further power to select plan, and TO su-
peryise the location and erection of a building.
The latter portion of the trust reposed in the
commission will OF course be inopera alive with
out further legislation by Congress.
The commission advertised In leading news
papers in the large cities of the country for de-
signs for library building, and at the same
time furnished to architects a series series of
outline sHtclucdJions 70 XUlue tuem In SUBMIT
ting plans for such an edifice. A premium OF
fifteen hundred dollars was offered for such a
design as should be adiudged the best by the
members of the commission; one thousand dol
lars fer the next BEST and five hundred dollars
for the third best. Up to November Is, 1873,
when the competition was closed, twenty eight
designs had been received, and the award, which
is payable on or before Dec 31st, will shortly be
made by the commission.
The importance of q prompt provision for the
commencement Of . new library building will
be apparent when 1t is considered that the in
cressing accumulation of books Is such that the
alcQyes in all departments Of the library are
already overlooked; that the one hundred sup
pie mentary cases Of shelving introduced two
years age to accommodate the surplus are nearly
all filled; that the grievous necessity Of psling
up books on the floors in many quarters has
already been reached; and that 1t will not be
possible much longer to provide any space tor
the thousands of volumes Of new acoesefsns con-
stantly wanted for the use and reference Of
Congress, in any quarter where they can be
systematically arranged, and produced with the
necessary pr0mptitude. The whole subject IL
again earnestly commended to the early stten-
ton Of the committee.
A. X. SPoFFoRD, Librarian.
Hon. Timothy O. Ho,ce, Chairman Of the Joint con,-
Duittee en- ds LibrIry.