The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1908-08-29
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Uncle Sam is doing his best at the
dissemination of literature. He is at
the head of mighty international
book exchange which annually handles
about 100000 packages of books ag-
gregating half a million pounds in
weight, and which are distributed to
all parts of the globe. 1t is the gov
ernment's clearing house for official
and scientific literature, and is known
rs the international exchange system
or the Smithsonian exchanges.
Most of the shipments made contain
full sets of United States government
documents for authorized repositories,
and the balance consist of depart.
mental and other publications for
miscellaneous correspondents. The
lists of Smithsonian exchange CORE.
spondents include about 10000 sepa,
rate addresses.
These figures furnish some idea OF
the large scope of operation of sys.
TEN which. outside the scientific and
academic world is not generally
known. DR.. Cyrus Adler, assistant
secretary of the Smithsonian lnstitu-
ton, in charge of the library and eX-
changes, explained recently the pur.
pose and work of this International lit
erary clearing house.
"The exchange service" he said, us
I almost as old as the institution itself
| 1t was originally designed fo,' the pur.
I ne Cn,;,hrA,,in,
| licatit~s for those of other learned SO
cietie3 and faculties. Through the ac
tion of congress and through treaty
| negotiated with various foreign cOun-
| tries, to which many nations have
since adhered, it has become an i'm
portant International agency for the
exchange of governmental. scientific
and literary publications. 1t is devised
to benefit the institutions in this coun.
try and abroad, serving as one of the
most important means for carrying
ont the fundamental purpose of the in
stitution the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men
1T is through this system that the
~ It-l4lHl hbNtlllfhlNs tIpl - VI NN ~
tiiiC experiments, official transactions
of societies. governmental publications
and like productions are sent to the II.
brayics and kindred institutions of the
world at a great saving Of labor and
expense. Instead Of each society, as.
sociation or academy sending docu-
mcnts to a thousand others, a constant
circulation Is maintained through the
medium Of the Smithsonian Institu-
tion.
The operation of an official ex-
change bureau OF this sort gains the
benefits of centralized effort. When
boxes and packages are properly
stamped by the Smithsonian Institu-
ton and marked international EX
changes customs inspection Is
waived. For a long time many steam
ship lines went so far as to provide
free transportation on all packages
Of Smithsonian exchanges Further
privileges, such as the waving Of Ger,
tain consular fees on bills of lading
are enjoyed by the exchange system,
making it altogether Of great service
not only to the government which sup
ports it, but to its citizens as well
The government appropriation avail.
able for this service during the pres
ent yer is s32 900"
The idea o. an interDational liter
airy eychang. system is not new, II
was first permanently established 70
wears ago by III AleXandre Nattemare
Of Paris As early as 1884, how
ever, the royal library Of France,
authorized by King Louis XIV, con
Quoted an international exchange for
several years. and the American Phil
osophical society (foundcd in l7i3)
and the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences founded in 1880,
at the beginning of the nineteenth cen
tury, traded their proceedings and
transactions for those Of foreign scien,
tic societies MIR. Va''ouare's ct-
forts began in 1892, when he succeed
ed in interesting many learned men Of
Europc in his plans In 1893 he visit
ed the United states and drained the
Endorsement cf many le2'IH2 Ameri-
cans. among them Washington Iryilg,
Josl r p0insc't then s"crnla F VI
aur. Cuban O. Netlanck and also
lha Governments Of number os cities
IN his second visit % thi, country he
nas designated - the agaat II .Ae -.
brs ot C0ngrasI 70 coma lot ha ~.