New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-30
THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
QUALIFICATIONS FOR NATrov.,
BRARTAN-THE PROPER FUNCTION.
OF THE LIBRARY-vIEws ar
PROMINENT LTBRARTAy

| To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: ! was very much pleased with -.
| mirable short editorial In your issue q, ran.'
~ on the Library 81 Congress and thu n.,,.,',
which should govern the appointment %
brarian. / arm deeply Interested in the anro,..
ment. and anxious that, II possible. COMA.
| tent librarian should receive H. one ubo -.
already shown conspicuous success in the ,,.
agement OF a large library. sucn a man AZ IT,.
bert Putnam. OF Boston; DR.. John s Billine, =.
| New-york; MelviI Dewey. Of Albany. or Wv
Crunden, Of 81. Louis
In the hope that you will be willing 10 sv.u
on the subject again little more in aets,I g.
your columns. I have drawn up a s,aten.,,
Of what seem to mo the proper functions a.
the National Library and the ,onsdera,,o,.
that should enter into the appointment o, N.
new librarian.
First-The Library OF Congress whatever n.
name. is and ought to be the National Iibr,,,
Of the United States.
Second-As the National Library. II has ~.
| duty In this country which In England fan, "A
the British Museum, and in France to the Bib
llotheque Rationale. This duty is 70 seek out
gather up and preserve all material whethe,
documentary. pictorial or purely literary, which
may prove the origins and record and illustra,.
the progress OF the National life; not merely thu
political but the literary, scientific. industrial
artistic and social life OF the United states
With reference TO the United States It's coll.c.
tions should represent pre-eminenty or.ztns,
documents and sources With regard TO the
| literature and records OF other countries ita
duty may be secondary It cannot compete
with their own national Libraries In original
sources. but It should at least strive 70 amass
for scholars the most comprehensive collection
In this country OF foreign literature and such
a collection Of secondary material as viii Illus
trate the condition and progress OF those coua.
tries.
Third-But the National Library has a duty
and an opportunity which no other national
library has. Each State has library which
may perform for IT certain services. such as the
accumulation and preservation OF documents
and records This the National Library should
undertake for the country a whole. These
State Libraries are unequal in equipment hetero.
geneous in organization and method and isolated
in endeavor. II is possible for the National
Library to be the agency through which they
shall become associated in cooperative servica
1t may also become for them a medium Of eI.
change and It may utilize them in turn as its
own local agencies.
CENTRAL BUREAU OF LIBRARIES.
The libraries Of the United States are insttut.
ing cooperative undertakings in cataosuns
ndexing photography and reciprocal service in
the exchange Of books and OF information. Such
underta kngs save some OF the enormous waste
Of effort and expenditure which necessarily re-
suit where each institution attempts indepen-
IDENTIFY the work which IL being done by each OF
| its five thousand neighbors For such co-opera
| ton one central bureau is Indispensable That
| central bureau must be library. and the r.
| brary having the most representative collection
OF books the title the power and the duty 70
render such a service to the country al largo
This library can only be the National Library.
Fourth-Thc libraries OF the United Staeo
cannot reach their fullest and most economical
development independently OF the rest OF the
world International conference. association and
co-operation are essential. Important schemes
| for such cooperation already pending. AZ
| he Smithsonian Institution Is for scientific
bodies the medium In international transactionA
so in communications between the libraries Of
| this country and those abroad the National LIZ
| brary should be the natural medium.
STAFF OF EXPERT SPECIALISTS.
Fifth-A great collection OF books is not made
useful simply by being brought together; It
| not made fully useful by catalogues. however
elaborate Above the catalogues there must De
men. not men OF merely routine capacity VINO
can hand out a particular book in response 10
particular demand. not mere photographers ou'
in each department Of knowledge Specialists
men who have had particular training IN thar
department. and II possible who are experienced
therein. The majority OF the demands IN any
library OF reference and certainly its most I'M
portant demands. is not for particular DOCKS
but for the best material on a particular sub
ject These demands rarely be answered.
directly by the catalogues. They must De tran''
lated; but they can be translated adequate"
only by a n authority who knows both languase''
by one who has had experience as a practcA
worker I'm the same field as the inquirer ana
also a library expert.
Certain libraries are therefore retaining IN
their service such practical experts. who FORM
corps OF specialists. in addition to ordinary ~
tendants They meet the inquirer on any suo'e''
and with least loss of time aid him In nndins '"e
best material OF all libraries in this county
and especially on account OF Its connection VII"
Congress. the National Library should nave "
its command such special experts.
sixth-The copyright department involves IT,
sponsibilities which obvious.
Seventh-The National Library can take INV
lead and render the widest service in cooper
alive undertakings such as cataosulhs l"
American libraries once for all the books copy
righted i'm the United States. So also oy ~
methods Of organization and OF acquiring e'ass'
flying cataloguing. administering and maS'ne
useful it's collections. It may set model 10 NV
libraries OF the entire country These horar's
are more less heterogeneous In organiza''
and In method. For lack OF proper stimulus
from above and without. many Of them are s'ss
nant For lack OF central authority to ao's'
and give example most OF them that are
tempting improvement in method are dOhs '
only through individual experiment. win 'au
ing and thus wasteful. II not eccentric. res'''"
II the economy OF uniformity Is ever 70 De
cured II will be because the National L'o's
gives the stimulus and serves as the autno'"