Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-28
NATIONAL LIBRARY
Growth and Prospects Discussed by
Prof. Spoford.
B UILq ON BROAD LIN E 5
Hampered by Lack Of Room and
Other Causes.
THE COPY RIGHT LAW

The Washington Library Association held
its tenth regular meeting at the Columbian
University last evening, the feature of
which was the reading of paper by Prof.
Ainsworth r. Spofford on THE Functions
of Our National Library Mr.. Spofford
said the topic had been chosen for him and
not by him, the committe on literary
exercises deemed it a highly opportune one,
in view of the rapid progress toward COM
pletion of the new library building. He
spoke of the past, present and future of the
library under his charge, and traced sew
eral important epochs in its progress, such
as the accession of the great Smithsonian
Scientific Library, in 1866; the Peter Force
Historical Library. in 1867, and the enact
ment of the far-reaching copyright law in
1870. which law. he said. had given to the
collection a national character and a law
of growth far outranking that of any other
American library, however well endowed.
The secret of the rapid and enormous
growth of the great government libraries in
Europe was the steady operation of what is
known as the copy tax. This method of
contribution of copies of all publications, in
evidence of copyright, while an unfelt bur-
den to publishers, gave to authors and pub
fishers permanent evidence of their eXclu-
sive right to multiply copies, and at the
eminent with the whole intellectual prod
uct of the nation. Many books may owe to
the steady operation of the copyright law
their sole chance of preservation.
Great Difficulties.
Mr.. Spofford referred to the enactment of
international copyright in 1891, after
century of the free use of foreign works in
America, as a measure which had not yet
been fully tried. 1t had. however, added to
the stores of the government library very
large accessions of musical compositions by
foreign composers and works Of graphic
art, but 1t had not very heavily increased
the anr ual deposits Of books, the reason
fer which, he said, was that the law re-
CURED the entire manufacture of such books
In the United States. He characterized the
present state of the library as one of tran
sition, and described in feeling terms the
enormous difficulties under which it's admin
iStration had been carried forward for
many years. The overcrol,ding was such
in the narrow space il the Capitol, he said,
that the entire work of the library and the
great copyright bureau had to be carried on
in quarters which would not be tolerated
for six months by any tirst-class business
house.
The daily food of copyright books, period
icals, music, enSravings, photographs, etc,
that poured into the library had all to be
registered stamped and cataloSued under
the eyes and almost under the feet of men,
bers of Congress and other visitors. to the
library. According to Mr.. Spofford, relief
in this respect is now near at hand In dis
cussing the scope of the collections of the
library he said that the first cardinal OBJ
ject of any national library should be the
collection and preservation of the nations
literature. No other library could fulfill
this end because of the great cost involved
in an absolutely complete assemblage of
books, periodicals, etc. Neither have other
libraries the room or the disposition to ac
cumuiate the whole literary and scientific
product of the country. Their aims must
rs. nj las In he.
case of the national library, inclusive. Next
after this object, said Mr. Spofford the
library. being for the uses of the legislative
body. representing siXty-five million people,
should be absolutely complete in political
science and Jurisprudence. Its value to
Congress, in the discharge of the multifar-
ious duties and responsibilities of that body,
was inestimabe. The numerous questions
daily under consideration demanded the
widest research. The innumerable reports
on all questions arising in legislation
qure n knowledge of presidents and prin-
ciples such as only great library of books
and periodicals can supply. These reports
and the speeches, which elucidate or de-
fend them, often require breadth of in
formation little appreciated by those who
think the life of Congressman is an easy
ore.
An Art Gallery.
Librarian Spoffor1 referred to the riches
of the collection in pamphlets and periodi-
Gals as exception ally great, and said that
no department was more continually drawn
upon. He said that in political economy,
including the great departments of finance
and statistics, the library was especially
strong, while in the vast field of sociology
it was measurably complete, although in
every department We're gaps to be filled,
which could only be done by more liberal
appropriations for the purchase of books
Now that the argument of want of room
for new accessiors would no longer exist,
IFa tod Nt hot TnrlO lob Il
already provided with such far-sighted lib
crafty tn. commodious and beautiful Ii
brary building, which was the pride of the
city anG the country, would SO respond to
the wants of the age as to fill it in due
time with the learning of all lands. The
speaker adverted to the half million or
more specimens of the art of illustration
or works of graphic art, accumulated with
out cost, under copyright, hitherto piled in
the crypts below the library. as destined to
fill an art gallery of great extent in the
new building, and to furnish free and
very Instructive exhibition of the progress
of the art of designs He also spoke of the
riches of the great collection of maps
many of them unique manuscript plans of
revolutionary camps, marches and battle
fields, which, he said, would be for the first
time displayed to view in one of the halls
of the library, and would yield valuable
historical material to students and writer's
Catalogue System.
The catalogue system of the library, he
said, had been impeded in its progress by
being overslaughed by the copyright bus
mess demanding more and more of the
labor and time of his assistants, year by
year. Thus the very means of the greatest
increase of the library stores had operated
to suspend the catalogue Of subjects.
important an element in the usefulness of
the collection. This, however. need not be
of long continuance he said, If Congress
would grant the needful aid to carry for
ward the work. The card catalogue by au-
thors was up to date and the appropriation
by the last Congress to bring up the ar
rears OF the copyright department had re-
suited in presenting further delays SO that
copyright certificates. instead of being
much behind, were now furnished within
about ten days from the date OF appfica-
ton. Mr.. Spofford said that this was the
only library in the world to which the bus
mess of cnnYright WAS attached and that