Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-12-09
Mr.. Putnam Informs Congress Of Its
Condition.
PROGRESSOF TOPICAL CLASSIFICATION
Reference Library to Be Estab-
Iished in the Capitol.
S U n D A Y 0 p z N N g

for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1901,
| was today placed before Congress in the
| annual report Of Librarian Herbert Put
nam. This report, which Is the third that
| has come from the hand Of Mr. Putnam.
not only deals in most comprehensive
| way with the administrative details of the
! library, but places before members Of the
| Senate and House adequate idea Of
| what has been done to make the prodi-
| gious amount of printed information which
constitutes the library Of Congress avail
| able under topical classification, for ready
reference as we'll as exhaustive research.
In this connection Mr.. Putnam says:
| THE library was removed to the new
building in the spring of 1897. But 1t did
not enter the new building equipped for
| the activities which it was to pursue there.
The physical equipment was incomplete,
| the organization was but partial; the col
lection itself, though large In mass. was
| inorganic. Indeed, the work to be done:
| the development to be sought, the service
| to be rendered, the apparatus to be pro-
| vided. had not yet fully been defined.
Grouping of the Books.
1.-THE past four years, in particular the
past two, have seen the collections, former
ly indiscriminate, divided into certain
main groups and in large part arranged
venientIy located; and the physical equip
ment and personal service appropriate to
| each determined, and in part provided.
| They have seen determined Also and In
| itiated in each group, a system Of CLASH
| ication which not merely recognizes pres
ent contents, but provides elastically for
! future development; and catalogues which,
also elastic. when brought to date win
] exhibit adequately the collections as they
stand and be capable of expansion with
| out revision. The larger appropriations Of
| the past four years have enabled the i'm
projections in the collections themselves In
a measure to be remedied. Particular
progress has been made in the completion
| of standard sets and photographers which
are the tools of the classifier and cata-
| loguer, and guides in selection; and con-
| siderable progress in the acquisition Of
| miscellaneous material important to seri-
Gus research. but impossible of acquisition
| with the small funds formerly available.
| 1.-The library begins the new century.
therefore, in condition far advanced over
| that in which 1t began its career in the
new building. During the past four years
| 1t has been active in direct service, but
still more active in preparation for larger
| and wider service. 1t is now in a position
to consider and determine what the SER
| vice shall be:-to Congress, to the execu-
tive departments and scientific bureaus of
| the federal government, to other libraries,
and to scholarship at large. What the
| library may do for these is not to be es-
| tent, of what it has done in the past. Its
future opportunities appear in its consti-
| tutional relations, Its present and develop
| ing equipment, its organization, the char
acter of the material which it now has. and
| its resources for increase"
Cost of Maintenance.
After making this brief Introduction Mr..
| Putnam plunges at once into the financial
| problems of expense and revenue. The
grand total of expenditures for the fiscal
year was s505. 55.07. This amount is in
creased to 1868 II in the appropriation
made for the current fiscal year. The
revenues Of the copyright division amount
| ed to s63. so. However, in addition to
! cash fees the copyright business brings
! each year to the government, in the arti-
cles deposited, property to the value of
many thousands of dollars. During the
received, whose value must have far ex-
| ceeded the amount of the net cash earn
| ingS of So, 496 Ia.
On July 1, 1900, the library service con-
sisted of 230 employees, 1S5 in the library
| proper and 45 in the copyright office. On
July 1, 1901 1t consisted of 256 employees,
207 in the library proper and 40 in the
! copyright office. OF the 207 in the library
proper. 81 are in the catalogue division; 80
| of the POT fill the more subordinate posi-
| IlOHS Ol HieSScHSeTS, duenUdnIS IN CLOAK
rooms, etc, and liz of the remaining Ill
fill positions at salaries ranging from
$3.50 to $500. inclusive. The complete pres
ent organization Is given in Part II of
this report.
The force under control of the superin-
| tendent of the Library building and
grounds, for the business Of the discussing
| office and for the care and maintenance Of
| the building and grounds consists now of
ZIG persons.
The estimates for the present year
| Q901-2) called for thirty-one new positions
-twenty-six in the catalogue division, one
| in the law library and four in the copy
right office Twenty-six of the positions
asked for were granted. The five not
| granted were all in the catalogue division
| two at 81 400 one at 81 200, two at 81 600.
! The work of this division involving va
rious interdependent processes" says Mr..
Putnam. the omission of five Of the
| additional assistants asked for has
| thrown ii out of adjustment. Too much of
| the time of 81, 500 employees is now diverted
to the revision of work of the 5000 and 500
| employees. 1t has become necessary there
fore, to ask that the omission Of these five
| cataloguers for the whole year be partially
remedied by the employment of twice the
number for the balance of the year, and
| the request has been made that a provision
| to this end be inserted in the urgent de-
| ficiency bill.
| For the ordinary routine and for the d.
rect service to readers. although this is
constantly enlarging. I have asked no adj
| force asked for the coming year is the ad-
| ditfonal cataloguers and certain assistants
| in the copyright Office whose salaries will
| be reimbursed by the receipts Of the office
| There are, however, certain inequalities In
| the present organization which interfere
with the general efficiency Of the service.
| They existed when 1 took office. I have
urged that they be remedied. I urge 1t
| again in my estimates for next year."
! Mr.. Putnam states that the salary Of
| 5000 year which is paid to the chiefs Of
| four divisions in the library should be
| paid to at least three others. One Of these
is the position Of head Of the division of
manuscripts. which has been vacant for
| over year. The salary attached to this
/ position is but 1880. and Mr.. Putnam says
| he cannot fill the place until the salary has
| been put upon reasonable basis.
Larger Purchase Fund Required.
| Under the head Of increase Of the library
| Mr.. Putnam gives a tabulated comparison
with the past two years. Briefly stated 1t
shows that 76,4S1 printed books and PAM
phlets have been added to the library dur
| ing the past year. On this subject the IL
| brartan says:
| THE increase in the aDDroprfation over