The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-02-18

| evidence In law cases involving copyrights.
| With much that Is practically worthless the
library has thus gathered every valuable
| work issued in this country for a score of
| years. while, by purchases abroad it has
aiinsd 20 keep fairly well supplied with the
important publications, of not too special
character. of every European country. .1 s.
The future ot our National library can
hardly DO fairly considered without ta,xipy
into account the other librnries In Washing,
ton, several OF which are already of great
Importance, for example tina. Of the surgeon.
generals Office containing nc. far from a0c.-
0o volumes one OF tho very best collections
In the world Of works on medicine and allied
subjects including pub.ic health: or that Of
the state department. very choice collection
Of GO,UD volumes, or these OF the Bureau of
Education. the Geological, Survey ana the De.
partinent Of Agriculture latter with its
spocialties Of forestry, entomology, botany,
etc. These are but portion of the libraries.
each occupied with some speciality, which
are growing into Importance in connection
with the government offices, all OF which to-
gcther. with duplicates discarded. must number
not less than 30o0 900 volumes. and would per-
haps come nearer 100000. In any reasonable
planning for the future OF our National IL
brary, these must DO regarded as branches
OF the central library in the new building by
the Capitol, and both they and it must be
managed IN mutual co operation, TO avoid
useless duplication and, by defining the
proper field OF each, enable il TO attain an ex-
cellence within its set limits that II could not
hope for IL its field were less distinctly lin.
tied.
Already there is organized in Washington
an association of librarians, which will per-
haps provide all that is necessary to secure
this harmonious corporation and correlation
among the various libraries. 1t is doubtful
whether any scheme for unifying the govern
ment or ,trol of the different libraries is
either p.acticable or desirable. Voluntary
federation may produce better results IL
is easy 20 see that the problem OF the future
direction Of the National library is simplifei
by consideration OF its relation 10 all these
special Libraries. Rightly conducted, il will
be the central point in tho system At it's
counters, the reader should find competent di-
rection to the books available anywhere in
Washington, and advice as TO their accessible.
ty Every possible photographed aid, and
cvery facility through catalogues, should be
at the disposal of the inquirer. In its larger
relations 10 the country in general, this liz
brary should also show itself hospitable and
to which any inquirer would naturally go or
send in search of books not obtainable in ms
local libraries, with privilege of having ex-
tracts copied, and in some cases the books
themselves sent TO him even at distance from
Washington. Thus far the library interests
Of Washington have n3t really been built mp;
they have merely grown, and in a Somewhat
haphazard manner. The entrance of tho Ma
tional library, this year. into its palatial and
commodious new home almost concidently
with the establishment Of tho Free Public
Library of Washington (which in its second
year, Is already doing great work. and with
the formation Of the Washington Association
of Iibrarians-may well be considered IA in.
dicating the dawn Of "A new era for the library
interests not only of Washington, but of the
whole country. May II prove ar era-of wiser
legislations and a more conservative conduct
of all our national affairs,-w. l. Fletcher,
Amherst College Library. Amherst Mass, in
the Critic.