Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-03


millions of books. periodicals and PAM
phlets old and new, he has about as much
idea where to look as the man who
wants to find the proverbial needle in the
proyerbiaI haystack. And then, anyhow,
it is so much trouble when a person has
something else to do, part of the time, at
least
An Explorer of Books.
There lives and works in this city a
man who has the instincts of an explorer
and conducts, under the direction OF
Uncle Sam the most continuous and di-
versified explorations, yet he seldom goes
far from his home city and spends most
of his time in the national library-the
Library of Congress. He delights in his
work. which, In fact. consists OF delVing
in the stOrehOuSeS of literature Tor Just
such things as have been mentioned. Not
only does he delight in this. but he is ac-
knowledged to be more skillful at it than
any other man in this country, and If
there is better in any other it is not
known in this. But what is still more
wonderful about this photographer S
work is that it is performed free of
charge for any individual in the United
States who desires it,
The man referred to is Appleton P. C.
Griffin, chief of the division of bibli-
ography of the Library of Congress, Wash
ington, D. c.
As an example of the kind of requests
received and answered under Mr.. Griffin S
direction the following letter from Will
lam Dean Howells is given:
An Authors Request.
Dear Sir: 1 am going to England with
some vague notion of visiting the sources
OF the principal American emigrations, or
their points of secondary departure. and
would be more obliged than l could say If
you could refer me to some book, not too
cGmbrous or specific-I mean too minutely
Specific-covering the ground l wish to
tread. Is there any book? | am not after
geEealogies, but generalites."
Here is one from another source received
a few days ago:
Il am seeking some information concern
ing the transition of the negro from slave
| laborer to a free laborer and farm tenant,
and the rest is made up of questions o;
various conditions of complication.
Yet another comes from a high school
boy of Cleveland Ohio, who wishes to be
referred to works in which there can be
found something favorable to his side OF
his first school debate.
Each of these received promptly the in
formation asked for. Even the exact vol
ume, chapter and page in which the matter
was to be found were indicated, and the
place where the work might be consulted
was also given. Besides all this many ref
erences were given and fine distinctions
were drawn between what might be de-
sired and what might not.
Current Events.
Within the past month congressman have
asked Mr.. Griffin for information on the
Trans-Siberian railway, Manchuria. Rus
sian expansion. her political and economic
conditions. on Panama, the Philippines and
the Chinese question, and all have received
neatly typewriter lists of references
The foregoing may give some idea of the
importance of the national library in
Washington. What is regarded as very
substantial evidence of it is to be had in
the printed data appearing from time 20
time. These include more or Jess complete
lists of books and references to periodicals
which give information and the most au-
thcritative opinions on nearly all the lead
ing questions Of the day. By their aid a
student of public questions Is often en-
abled to turn Immediately to the article he
seeks without searching for hours and even
Gays and perhaps then in vain. through
alphabetical catalogues and indexes, some
times apparently indefinite in extent.
In addition. by means of the careful re-
search necessary In the compiling of these
Hsts-a search among the thousands OF
volumes in the great book stacks-impor-
tant omissions in the government library
are brought to light that would perhaps
never be discovered in any other way.
The preparation of the publications Is
usually not hurried. In fact. the work OF
them is often begun with the expectation
publication reaching far into the future.
A brief list is prepared for an Individual
correspondent. This Is added to for an
other. and as time passes references turn
UP accidentally and are jotted down On
index cards. Files Of the various lists are
kept on hand together with carbon copies
rel dy for mailing to other inquirers When
the demand becomes great enough. If II
ever does so. these growing lists are simply
sent to the printing department of the
library. where they are turned out in guam
titles neat pamphlets or cloth-bound
volumes.
Copies Distributed.
Whenever this is done copies are sent to
all the large libraries in the country and
to a number OF colleges and universities.
Is well as to writers and investigators who
TIVE f1fa nifepted an interest In the subject