The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1908-10-05

book exchange which annually handles
about 2OO. 1000 packages of books ag.
gregating half a million pounds in
weight. and which are distributed to
all parts of the globe. II is the gov.
ernment's clearing house for official
and scientific literature, and is known
as 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 $4,000 sepa-
rate addresses.
These figures furnish SOM idea Of
the large scope of operation of a sys-
TEN which, outside the scientific and
academic world. is not generally
known. DIR. Cyrus Adler. assistant
secretary of the Smithsonian Institu-
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, rs
almost as old as the institution itself.
II was originally designed for the pur-
pose Of exchanging Smithsonian pub
locations for those OF other learned So
cieties and faculties. Through the ac-
ton of congress and through a treaty
negotiated with various foreign coun-
tries, to which many nations have
since adhered, IL has become an i'm
portant international agency for the
exchange of governmental, scientific
and literary publications. II is devised
TO benefit the institutions in this coun.
try and abroad, serving as one of the
most important means for carrying
out the fundamental purpose of the in.
stitution, the increase and diffusion of
knowledge among men
1T is through this system that the
original documents, reports of scien'
tific experiments, official transactions
of societies. governmental publications
and like productions are sent to the H.
braries and kindred institutions Of the
world. at a great saving OF labor and
expense. Instead of each society, as
sociation or academy sending docu.
ments to a thousand others, a constant
circulation is maintained through the
medium OF the Smithsonian Institu.
ton.
The operation of an official eX'
change bureau of this sort gains the
benefits of centralized effort. When
boxes and packages are properly
ton and marked international Elk
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 ladinl
making II altogether of great service
not only TO the government which sup
ports II, but to it's citizens as well
The government appropriation avail
able for this service during the pres
ent year is $50, 900"
The idea of an international liter
r exchange system is moi new. l
was first permanently established Il
years ago by II. Alexandra Waterman,
OF Paris. AS early as 1894, how
ever, the royal library of France
authorized by King Louis XIV, con
Quoted an international exchange TO
several years, and the American Phil
osophical society (founded in l743
and the American Academy OF Art
and Sciences (founded in 1850
at the beginning of the nineteenth cen
tury, traded their proceedings an,
transactions for those of foreign scien
tic societies. Mr.. Vattemare's ei
forts began in 1882, when he succeed
ed in interesting many learned men O
Europe in his plans. In 1899 he visit
ed the United States and obtained tn
Endorsement of many leading Amer
cans, among them Washington Irving
Joel X. Poinsett, then secretary @
war; Gulian c. VeTplanck, and ais
the governments of a number Of cities
On his second visit to this country h
was designated as the agent OF the l.
brary OF Congress to conduct the e,
change system established betwee
France and the United States.
The National institute Of this couI
try in 1870 set up a similar internI
tional exchange OF natural histor
specimens. Although the Smithsonia
exchange system had no direct CO.
nection with those established b.
tween national governments by \
V~attemare, II Dol superseded all otl
er plans for international exchange
The institution was founded in 1874
for the increase and diffusion I
knowledge among men," To turtle
the second term Of this bequest, ii
first volume of the Smithsonian pu