The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-12-08
THE. ANNUAL REPORT
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

| the d sposal OF students material which
is Of Importance TO economic and pO-
litical research.
Donations Of Manuscripts
zone of the most notable gifts in man
uscripts ever made TO the Government
has been that OF the Andrew Jackson
papers. by the family OF Montgomery
Blair. The recent history of these pa
| pers is told in the letter of gift; but an
examination of the documents them
selves win alone develop the wealth of
historical matter contained in them"
! The report further gives a list of other
| important manuscripts received.
An important step has been taken
toward bringing under one roof the his
/ torical collections now scattered among
/ the different departments of the Fed
/ eral Government
This transfer has implied. OF course.
the cooperation OF the authorities OF
the State Department. which has oeen
entirely prompt and cordial.
1T assumes that papers OF importance
to Che investigator in history and not
necessary for administrative purposes
will render larger service to scholar
ship if in the Library, which has a spe-
ciflc duty not merely to preserve them, i
bat TO make them accessible, than in an
executive department where this SER
vice is purely voluntary and is not sus-
tanned by specific appropriation:
Customs Records CorralIed.
In the course of the last fiscal year it
was learned that Congress had author
lied certain customs houses to destroy
such of their records as were no longer
necessary to the administration of the
I -
Of the Secretary of the Treasury much
material OF this description was found.
has been transferred TO the Library, and
/ is now in process OF arrangement
The total number OF pieces in the
division of maps on June 50, 1902. was
( 81, 991. and 1908 on June so, 1906. BY au-
thority Of the provision of the appro-
/ priation act for the present year there
has been transferred to the Library of
Congress from the library OF the State
Department the entire Kohl collection
OF early maps.
This collection consists OF copies.
chiefly by hand, made for the United
States Government by DR.. John G. Konl.
a learned German, under an appropria-
ton of 5000 granted by Congress in
1856. 1t comprises in all IA maps, for
the most part maps relating TO the prog
I
them being from printed sources. some
from manuscripts in European archives
and libraries.
Accurate Catalogue Needed.
THE division OF maps has frequent
inquiries concerning maps referred to in
Government documeI Is as accompany
/ ing them, but which are missing from
the documents as printed. The omission
I a. hot FOL
1895 t. maps themselves were seldom
published 4 full and accurate cata-
logue Of them, and, even better photo
graphs OF them. which could be depos-
lied ia our division OF maps would
doubtless answer many inquiries and
clear many perplexities.
THE profit TO the Government and TO
the inquirer at large OF 'centraliz1ng in
this well equipped division all the carto-
graphic sources which the Government
/ controls. becomes more apparent as the
use OF the division develops.
Music Division.
.'The music division has also in its
custody the Hbrary's collection Of liter
allure illustrating the history and the
DRY of music Inclusive Of the Access
sions OF the past fiscal year G,S25 vol !
umes). this collection now contains a
total of 4.15S volumes
The Library OF Congress now pos /
sesses a good working collection of the
literature Of music fundamental 10 the4
student Of the history and theory OF
music. and the collection OF music IS
no longer limited 10 that which has
come from copyright. The division is
still weak in the literature OF music /
published previous to the nineteenth
century. In music illustrating the /
formative periods OF modern musical
forms. and in early secular American !
music eighteenth. century,
~ most important addition 10 the /
collection Of prints was made in the I
git from the French government Of 1
200 engravings, selected by the min /
lister of education from the Chalco- |
graphic du Louvre The collection sup 1
plies 70 the Library plates Of engravers /
not hitherto represented in. its stores. /
and the courteous liberaiity Of the /
French government deserves full recog- !
milton.
Through the courtesy of George A. /
Plimpton, OF New York. The Libr airy /
has been enabled TO exhibit a portion /
OF his collection Of Italian books and 1
manuscripts The plumber of pieces lent /
for the purpose was 267-many being 1
included which had not appeared in the /
previous exhibit at the Grolier Club /
Ia New York.
Law Library.
''The Law Library contained on June
30, 1903. $500 volumes, OF which 1886
volumes (foreign laws are on temporary /
deposit IN the Library building. Sub 4
tracing this number from the total as !
stated for the year, the law collection /
at the Capitol, July J. 1908, numbered /
S4O3S.
'As 70 public and administrative law /
SC Is weak even when supplemented by /
the resources Of the general collection /
To strengthen T in all these branches I
must be an undertaking OF the imme- /
date future.
During the past fscal year the 4
periodical division has handled IN its /
current work nearly 10000 numbers of |
serials. including newspapers, period
icals. bulletins. proceedings. reports. and /
transactions OF societies. comprising /
$3.50 separate titles. Of which SOS were /