Evening star., 1901-10-17
|Bs sement Odds and Ends
ration of the new conditions, is likely to be
widely followed.
Use of Duplicates From the Library Of
Congress.

widely followed.
Use of Duplicates From the Library Of
Congress.
Coincident with the housing of the pub
| lie library in its new building there should
| be a clear definition of its relations to the
Library of Congress. to the end that both
institutions may best serve the public uses
of their creation, and to the end that the
waste of national library treasure at the
capital may be reduced to a minimum.
The opening to circulation or the creation
of a circulating department of the Library
of Congress has been frequently urged.
but always unsuccessfully- The policy
seems now to be fixed of treating and de-
veloping that library exclusively as one OF
the worlds great reference collections for
scholars and students. The Washington
Public Library primarily a circulating
library supplements the Library OF Con-
gress just as numerous popular circulating
collections of London and Paris supplement
the library of the British Museum and the
French national library. the latter being
exclusively reference collections The rela-
tions of nation and capital involving COM
plete control of the capitafs affairs by
Congress, make the Washington Public Ii
brary as much a government institution in
principle the Library OF Congress. The
problem presented to the national iegisla-
ture is to use the capitals reference and
lending libraries that the nation Will waste
no fraction of its library resources. and
that all its books. whether valuable for
rendered most fully available for tie bene-
fit of the people of the republic
In fixing the status of the Library az
Congress exclusively a reference library
many miscellaneous volumes suitable for
circulating purposes may be condemned
to decay almost unused on the shelves.
Congress in controlling the affairs of both
libraries for the highest public benefit would
wisely institute system Of reciprocity be-
tween the two libraries and divert SO far as
possible valuable reference collectfonsto the
Library of Congress, and, on the other
the public library and render accessible
to the people duplicate miscellaneous vol
umes In the Library of Congress suitable
for general circulation.
Several years ago. before there was any
promise or hope Of such home for -he
capitals lending library as the structure
on Mount Vernon Square will afford. the
effort was made to secure for public use
in the Washington Library-eome 1soos ar-
copyrighted duplicates on the shelves of
the Library of Congress- and the then Ii
brarian of Congress (Mr. Spofford) apprcv-
ed resolution which authorized the joint
committee on the library to designate ana
turn over loan to the public library
such books OF that description as could be
spared from the Library of Congress. There
should be ascertained at this time through
the librarian of CongI ess whether any du-
plicates In the library can without incon-
venience be spared that would be of value
for popular circulating purposes. Then the
joint committee on the library might be
authorized to remove temporarily as a loan
from the shelves Of the reference to the
lending library such of thse volumes as 1t
may designate. This shifting of books TO
serve the ends OF wise public economy and
the highest public benefit should not be
confined to uncopyrigbted books. Copy
rfghted duplicates might. II would seem. be
kept as wen and as legally In one public
library under complete congressional con-
troll as In another.
. In accordance with the same principle OF
scientific division Of labor and economic
concentrations of effort is the suggestion
that the public library be made for popular
lending purposes the general departmental
library as q substitute for the small mis-
cellaneous collections which have been
cured by a few Of the departments. The
public library would not, IL thus used. af-
feet In the slightest the departmental libra
r!es as technical reference collections for
Official use The volumes Of the latter
character number nearly 100000 while
there are only between 10000 and 300oo
fCoattnne1 ea EaeSen<h RaOs.}