The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-10-29
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lications, on the ancient monuments
Of the Mississippi valley, by Squier
and Davis, was issued in 1S4S, and
distributed in this country and abroad.
The germs Of the present exchange
system are evident in the words of the
first secretary, Joseph Henry, who
wrote as early as 1892:
The worth and importance OF tie
institution are not to be estimated by
what It accumulates within the walls
Of It's building, but by what 1t sends
| forth to the world. Its great mission
is to facilitate the use OF all the inn
plements OF research, and TO diffuse
knowledge. which this use may de-
velop. The Smithsonian publications
are sent TO some institutions abroad,
and to the great majority Of those
at home. without any return receipt.
save in some cases that OF co-opeTa-
tion in meteorological and other OBJ
| servations."
AS now conducted, the rules for the
control Of the exchange service pro
vide in addition to the distribution OF
| the United States government publica-
tions to foreign libraries, for the dis
tribution abroad Of books, pamphlets.
charts and other printed matter sent
as gifts or exchanges from literary and
scientific societies or individuals TO
/ correspondents abroad, without ex
pense TO the sender beyond that Of de.
/ livery to the Smithsonian institution
| in Washington. No charge is made
I TO the receiver except in some in.
stances the cost of delivery from the
Smithsonian agent or correspondent
nearest to him. Similar material sent
from abroad to this country is for
warded to the recipient without ex-
pense to him, the packages having
| been delivered free of freight charges
1 to the foreign agent or correspondent
of the institution.
| The international exchange service
has now grown to huge proportions.
Three paid agencies abroad are main
Itained in London, in Leipsic and in
Budapest. The shipments sent abroad
/ by the Smithsonian exchange service
! include practically every organized
community in the world, from Ireland
/ TO South Africa. They are made in
uniform packages or boxes, and ship
ments TO smaller communities are sent
whenever enough material has accu-
mulated 10 warrant its transmission.
To larger agencies the service is
weekly. TO France. in 1907, went 153
boxes and 12,061 packages; to Great
Britain and ireland. 3Os boxes and 30
2l3 packages, and similar amounts e.
other large agencies. supplying in all
nearly $4,000 correspondents. In re
I turn France sent 1857 packages Of
/ books, Great Britain and Ireland 7,
/ So. British America 500, and so on.
Ii may be seen from the larger AZ.
ures on the shipment side that the
/ United States government is more
generous than any other nation in the
matter Of publishing and giving away
literature of a scientific and an educa-
tional nature.
| The exchange service is limited 10
voluntary contributions from recog.
nized societies, institutions or facul.
ties. The United States does not un.
dertake TO ship free of charge books
purchased in different countries. nor
scientific apparatus nor instruments
The exchanges are still administered
for the same purpose as at their begin
ming. "for the diffusion of knowledge
among men,"