New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-08
GOVERNMENT LIBRARY REFORMS.
NEED OF BRINGING THE VARIOUS COLLECTIONS
INTO CLOSER RELATIONS

NEED OF BRINGING THE VARIOUS COLLECTIONS
INTO CLOSER RELATIONS
Washington. Feb. (SpeciaD.-Some regret has
been expressed by friends OF the Library Of Con-
gress that the Senate Committee on Appropriations
failed to incorporate IL the Legislative. Executive
and Judicial Appropriation BILL which has now
pssseC both houses Of Congress. Mr. Lodges
amendment directing the transfer o: the Public
Document Library. now a portion OF the public
printing establishment the iody OF the Libra
ran Of Congress. The Public Documen, Library.
as It's name implies is a collection Of Government
publications. formerly under the o. the secre-
tary OF the Interior but now maintained and "a.
minstered through the Office q the Public Printer.
II has been urged with some force by the support
OF the lodge amendment that the publications
CT the Government might be stored with greater
economy safety and utility In the splendid new
building on Capitol Hi than In separate de-
posltory in any other part Of the city. BY the
transfer. It was urged. some three hundred thou
sand volumes would be added 10 The catalogue lists
OF the Library Of Congress and a duplicate sys
tenn Of library service would be done away with.
The Committee Oh Appropriations led BY sew
eral important cor1ider lions 10 reject the scheme
Co4Sr cn1,,g nps ~ ne grea ,S 2.
Of publications stored IN tho Public Document
Library. and can easily md space, with its IN
creased facilities. for the new issues o. public
ond piece. for purposes ~ practical use. the Gov
ernments publications would he FAR less accessible
/
remain in the custody % the Public Printer The
rules OF the Library Of Congress are AZ present
much more stringent than those enforced on read
crs and investigators NJ the Public Document Ii
brary. and the few persons who forced 10 seek
Information IN the dull pages OF public documents
find their convenience NOR" decidedly served ID the
separate depository the Public Printing Oiice
than would be possible were tho Document L.brary
merged in the bigger institution on capitol Hill
Perhaps the reform most desirable In the way q
onsolidation would be the collection not only OF
the Public Document Library but o, the smaller
libraries in the various executive Departments, into
one general library system. under a single heac;
or II 70 radical a scheme Of Capitalization should
not be considered desirable. at least the braneh
Libraries like those the State Department
and at the Public Printers. should he re-
CURED 70 transmit card catalogues TO the
Librarian OF Congress. 30 that Az the BOOKS
! owned by tho Government and stored IN this
civ could b. made available and accessible
BY r. ference the central card catalogue at the
library of Congress. Now that the legislative.
Executive and judicial bill has gone 20 conference
committee. no further amendments Affecting the
administration OF the Library can he added, but IL
IS 10 h. hoped that some steps may be taken in
tho near future bring the various book collections
owned BY tho Government into closer co-ordina-
ton. and TO make them available for wider public
7