The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-13
LITERATURE OF
THECONFEDERACY
Librarian Young Will Welcome South
ern Wartime Publications.
AN ASSURED FIELD OF RESEARCH
Where the II historian Can Inform Him.
self as TO the Civil War and Its
Causes from Impartial Data
Some Suggestions.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-Speciai-ln
his animal report the Librarian OF Con-
gress. Mr.. John Russell Young reiers 10
the efforts TO secure literature TO show
the ,nception and growth Of the various
political. social and religious movements
which Illustrate the national life. BY
way of illustration the Southern Con-
federacy Is noted. He says:
ANY publication illustrating the civil
war or IFS causes is welcomed TO the end
that an a century or so. when the nina
OF the historian can impaTualiy view the
stupcndous phenomenon. the Library
will be his one assured field OF research.
We have already n very large cvllecuon
81 f-~n,oderatc publications in the way
Of docuraents and literature, but not so
comnleta as could be devised. Whatever
pertains 10 the Confederacy. It's polemics'
music war songs. domestic songs us
ncwsnaper writings as well as broad
sides it's manuscripts. official publica-
tions and war narratives VIII De wei
coined and preserved
MIGHT COOPERATE.
would IL not be worth while Tor the
Confederate patriotic organizations to
lend an effort 10 add to the fund Of In
formation now being gathered. The sug-
gestion Is given for what IT Is worth. ~
60 moi a matter of dollars and cents with
southerners that the Confederacy should
be dealt with justly and doubtless hun
dreds OF persons have information in
books circulars, newspapers, clippings
etc, which they would willingly deposit
with the National Library for the benefit
OF Justice.
IN ITS INFANCY.
Further on Mr.. Young says as n ma
tional institution the Library Is i'm its
earliest stages. THE country scarcely
knows Of its existence nor Of the treas
ures already in its keeping. While other
national libraries. notably those Of Eng
land and France are enriched by gifts
from private sources. the tendency Of the
American is To send his gifts, where
they take the form OF books to the IL
brary Of his college. State or town. II
the American felt the same interest In
his National Library as the Englishman
IN the British Museum. in a few years
we would have one Of the three great
libraries OF The world.
The fact that we depend almost alone
upon the accretions Of the Copyright
Bureau and the modest appropriations Of
Congress narrows our scope and limits
our usefulness"
LIBRARY NOT AN EXPENSE:
Librarian calls attention to the fact that
every dollar given towards the develop
ment OF the Library creates an asset,
not an expense.
An enumeration Of the contents of the
Library on September S0th. gives an in
terestfng insight Into the scope Of The
collection. The total of books is s2544S,
of Which 1885 are copyright deposits.
Pamphlets cataloghed and or shelves.
$3.50: unca' alogued and duplicats 1862
The actual growth of the Library in
books for the fiscal year from all
sources. sI.sN volumes.
SOUTHERN SCHOOLS AID.
In referring to the numerous courte-
sizes extended 20 the Library in aiding
seekers after historical and genealogical
researches. the Librarian SAYS he has
been gratihed at The widespread desire
10 assist the Library i'm this purpose.
Special mention Is made Of ACQUISITIONS
through correspondence with the Vr-
ginia Historical Society. the publishers
OF William and Mary College Quarterly,
the Washington and Lee University
papers and to others.
II will be surprising TO the public to
know that the collections Of the publca-
lions of our own Government are in
complete.
In the Library collection OF bound
newspapers are III from North Carolina
and $50 from Virginia. out Of total of
1850 -Four hundred daily newspapers
have donated annual subscriptions to the
library