Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-09

predecessors have done with the limited
| annual allowances of Congress has been to
build up. by slow degrees. a good work.
ing library Of authorities. 1t Is to be noted
that the copyright privilege, extensive as
| it u.s. does not and cannot bring in the
| rew thought of foreign countries. For this
we must spend money. As yet Information
| al copyright has failed TO secure such wide
| republication here of the best books
peartng abroad was expected This il
due to tie law being hampered with the
:, manufacturing clause. compelling books to
| be made in the United States to entitle
| them to copyright. In other directions.
| where this restriction does not apply, the
| operation of the law has brought a mass
| of foreign compositions and fine art works
the latter of which when organized will
| furnish an exhibit surprisingly rich in
character and value.
Nv hlie considering the strength and
weakness of the general library we note
IN the hrst place, that as library of uni
versal range, while it has many of the
lest works in each field, its deficiencies
have been manifest. As will be seen from
the printed reports. my predecessor has
| long striven in vain for APPROPRIATIONS
| sufficient TO insure its natural growth, to
enlarge its scope and enable the purchase
| OF many sets OF monumental works and of
periodicals. printed abroad. which the H.
Drary does not possess, out might have
had with from $1,000 to 5000 more money
eacn year. So far from strengt hening the
library. the annual allowance for the book
purchase was cut down from $4,000 to
$l3,0Oo and aftcrward to S11,OO0 where it
has stood for many years
1t takes one-third of this to keep W.
the current periodicals and other serials
subscribed to. while 5000 of the small
remainder is absorbed by books for the
Supreme Court and the Law Library Not
wlthstahdlnS this meager sum- my prede-
cessor mas constantly enriched the library
by auction purchases and importat ions of
important books. But in spite of this
the gaps are manifest in many DEPART
ments. The invariable answer to the an
peals Of the librarian for many years was
TO the enect that as there was not enough
room for the books in the library il would
be foolish to buy more.
Tins plea no lor ger has force. and there
IS verge enough for Il collection that shall
do honor TO Congress and the country.
FROM a higher point of view, it should
be remembered that money spent in the
purchase Of books is an asset. not an ex-
pehdture. Books grow in value. Money
thus expended is money invested. A repre-
sentative library. well selected is an avail
able and growing property. The wear and
tear OF its use is small compared with the
increase in value.
AS a universal library, while 1t has
not in some important respects attained
the merit of satisfying the wants of
scholars it supplies. as rule what is
desired by general readers. No department
of science or literature is unrepresented
and in works of reference of cncyclopaedt-
cal character both in English and foreign
have a basis for library of comprehen-
sive research SO broad as only needs 10 be
bulit upon with care, system and liberality
TO become in a few years the most repre-
sentative collection In the United States
and one of the greatest libraries of the
world. While our own library has for
twenty-five years lived largely upon
copyright accretions. other libraries aided
by liberal appropriations and requests and
fortified by lists of desderata by profess
slonal men and specialists in evry field
have strengthened their collections until
some of them far surpass US in important
branches of learning. Numerical strength
does not constitute the real force of
library, and the Congressional Library.
while made by law the conservator of the
nations literature, is necessarily more
fully stocked with books of little value
so far as the wants of the present genera
ton go, than any other.
There are. however, not wanting spe
cial departments in which the Congress
sional Library is exceptional. The col
lection of Americana is extensive, embrac-
ing most published books and multitude of
pamphlets published in or relating to the
discovery. settlement etc, of the Americas.
1t includes numerous original editions of
such books, besides their reprints. There
may be noted the first editions Of Hamors
Virginia, 1914.
COmplfmenting MIR. SpOfford.
I'm closing this report, your librarian
cannot fail to give expression to the re-
greet with which the announcement was
received that Mr.. Spofford. because OF
advancing years, refused to be considered
for the office Of librarian. Coming into
our service as the nominee of Lincoln.
holding the Office for a generation the
library under his care increasing ten-fold,
seeing the idea of our magnificent building
grow from conception to fruition, by his
manifold and rare gifts. winning an en-
during fame-the name of this eminent
and memorable man will ever be asso-
ciated with the library"
NEW BILLS IN THE sExarE