National Republican., 1881-02-05
THE .. S. BOOKSTORE.
OxETCE OF ITS EARLY HISTORY.
-. Increasing size and Necessiiies-COmpafisOnS
with Older Institutions AbrOad-Duty
of CongrtsS-immediate Ac-
lion Necessary.

rrat gCE5t>it0ry OF literature miscaiIcu the Coh-
9T,,os,iousI Library. Some OF the facts connected
With It's imperative demand tor more room are
,'ra,,ol,f out every year in debate before both
branches Of the National Legislature. 1t is not
-1ioTIc rartisanproyding institution this fact,
t.,ep in connection with the additional fact that
:, is pyT,lva 4 literary establishment operates un-
r,-srr,,tt,lv on the average Congressional mind
In nti,pr words ifit we're the source from whence
tI, average Congressional intellect received some
orits inspirations, or the impecuniouS political
tiiapd obtained employment. il would not fail TO
receive carly recognition and relief.
Notwithstanding the rapid strides of art and
and its current literature to welcome the ap-
rasch OF the twentieth century, there is probably
No race Of people outside of Patagonia that take
Ijtrle Interest in this kindred subjects as the
average American Congressman.
BRIEF HISTORICAL MENTION.
.rlbc first session of the Sixth Federal Congress.
.f Philadelphia, an act was passed TO provide for
tho removal of the seat of Government 10 Wash
iputon. Section ) OF that act appropriated 5000
70 purchase books and fitting up a suitable apart
1nent f5r keeping them. for the of both Houses
or Congress It was approved by President John
Adams April n, 1SOG Among the members of the
scna,c committee who had been assigned the duty
f carving that section into effsct is found James
:. BlyaTti of Delaware grandfather of the present
Senator from that State.
On The Goth day of January, 1902, President JEFF
ferson signed bill entitled AN act concerning
tbc Library for the Use of both Houses of Con-
grcss."
This act simply provided for the appointment of
Librarian at salary Of 3 per day when in actual
attendance, and for the expenditure of the bal
ence remaining of the 5000 for books, expenses &c
GENUINE ECONOMY.
A. fayss 1876 the expenses must have been very
small for in that year SO the sum mentioned
in the appropriation bill for the support of the Ii
byary. After this period 81 600 per Gnnum was ap-
prop.fa;ei foE five years tor the increase of the
Library. and $500 allowed for contingent expenses
snd librarians salary.
In l!.e ann7opriatiou bill approved February 90
1911. is the following item: For repairing the
roof and fitting up room i'll the west side OF the
north wing of the Capitol for the Library, $500.
The whole number of books that had gradually ac
Pumulatcd for nearly fourteen years was about
s,09O On Wednesday evening, August a. 1914, the
victorious English, under General Ross entered
Washington and burned the Capitol. The Congress
Kioral Library ceased TO exist from that time until
January 30, 1915, when Congress purchased ex-
President Jefferson5 library for S23 ao containing
$50 volumes
The letter of Mr. jefferson offering The sale TO
lOfgfSN$ tIlS
modest paragraph. verbatim:
They may be valued by persons named by
themselves, and the payment made convenient TO
the public; it may be. for instance. in such annual
in>taIllnents as the laws of Congress has left at
their disposal in stock of any of their late loans
or any loan they may Institute at this session, so
q 10 spare the present calls of the country, and
eEai; Is Gay Of peace and prosperity. They may
entcr nevertheless. into immediate use of it, as
eighteen or twenty wagons would place il in
Washington in a single trip ola fortnight
GRADUAL PROGRESS.
From the date last mentioned the Library has
been continually increasing in importance and use
fulmcsS, until the year 1871. At this time, Decem
Der ~ thirty-fye Thousand volumes were destroyed
by fire. Congress then took the matter seriously
in hand, and in March, 1S52, they appropriated
k125oQ for the repair of The Library and $1,000 TO
purchase more books
From year 10 year The needs and necessities have
increased It's expense. and today it outstrips all
other institutions OF the kind in the world, when
werehect that after the fire of 1851 there were but
twenty thousand volumes TO begin with. Who
shall be able to compute the volume, and their
usefulncss thirty year from ROW?
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NOW,
Ike The great government libraries of every coun-
Try in Europe, IS governed By law of growth
which can no longer he measured by the want or
the necessities Ofthe National Legislature
This great repository of learning has come,
through the legislation of Congress. to be the rep
Tesentative and custodian of the entire literature
OfAmeEica. Through thc operations OF the copy
right Law it receives and preserves all the books
periodicals, musical compositions. maps, charts,
and works of art for which exclusive right of
publication IS secured TO their authors or publish
rrS.
Besides this, the Congressional Library alone, OF
sr the government Libraries of the world, is
charged with the entire copyright records of the
country. Itthus becomes an administrative bureau
involving more than 2oGOO entries and certificates of
copyright per annIIm, with the receipt and care
Oi i0,090 publications deposited in pursuance of
law TO perfect the copyright Thus there is re-
quircd an amount of space, both for the clerical
labor involved and for the storage of the immense
receipts Of copyright publications, which could
never be reached by any enlargement of the Capt.
iO building
IL ADDITION TO THE COPYRIGHT INCREASE
ofthe Library, all Of which it must he remembered
Cost the Government nothing, and brings in every
book Of any value produced in the country, it is
largely and constantly recruited from the follow
Ing sources:
First-From the annual deposits of books by The
Smithsonian Institution, whose library was re-
moved 10 the Capitol and incorporated with the
Congressional Library ia 1865 These books are
almost wholly scientific. and afford most Yalua-
Die adGIt!oH TO It's stores. They represent the
transactions ofmoSt ofthe learned societies Of the
world, in every department CT inquiry and in all
languages. Like the copyright deposits, they cost
tae taxpayers nothing, except for cataloguing and
binding
SeeoEd-A similar inexpensive contribution
comes IN the form of the public documents, not
ehiy oI Congress, but of every State and Territory
N The CEion. And The librarian has secured. by a
systematic effort, all, or nearly ALL the annual re-
ports Of Boards Of Trade and Chambers of Com
A'Ice throughout the United States forming an
Invaluable series of statistical and commercial in
formation much needed by Congress and Its COM
HSteeS The donations of societies and individuals
" VI DeoEs reports, and pamphlets, constantly COM
tiS ih form another imPortan. source of increase
10 LII: collection.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES.
ini'd-By this system. through which ffty sets
u 'I!e documents OF Congress and other Govern
men! publications are exchanged with foreign
6oIerll!aentS the library is being constantly en-
Ael.eo with the freshest official documents as
wen as with many books dealing with the ma
t~'It history, resources, explorations, surveys
Sl commercial and financial statistics of all the
rr.7 5oNe'HiheHtS OF the Two hemlSpnereS.
1IS International exchange could be much more
-Sisey developed by personal effort and influence,
ana Il has been proposed to send the Librarian to
Europe TO systematic and increase this avenue of
s"ShaIise, which, when left TO correspondence
'iiE' brings i'll fewer accessions than they ought
" 10 considering the great value and number of
vi publications sent abroad.
fcastE-Ihe annual purchases from the very
-o1sEa.e appropriation by Congrcss-about S11 500
pa aAnum-also enlarge the collection with
sIea variety Of books. chiefly published abroad
e useful to Congress in its IaborS as well as for
pubic Esc and reference.
TIE FGESS
y a'sat many important periodicals and other
r-'is are thus kept up. including all the most i'm
P'!.1ht reviews, magazines, and POLITICAL literary,
sl-a in,.rI,