The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-01

A great national library. cooperating
with every other library in the United
states In such way as viii serve 10
make u the central mechanism that binds
them together as one composite whole
such Is the idea OF Librarian Putnam as
10 what the library Of congress ought to
be. and what he is making it as rapidly IS
Weil-considered and Weil-directed effort
can do il. The library is now the n ird
IN size among the Libraries Of the world.
the National Bibliotheoue of Paris with
three million volumes, ranking first, and
the one Of the British museum second. It
is by odds the largest and most COMP etc
Ia the western hemisphere. But with all
TINS. there Is much that is yet lacking.
Many publication Indispensable to cum
pieteness in its particular line Is wanting
ing links. The same is true of every other
library in America. But what one lacks
another possesses. By proper co-opera zion
they may make il as if each possessed
all. Such is the aim of Mr.. Putnam, and
when realized every work in every library
Of the country will be available to those
engaged in research.
The first step necessary to the fun real
ization OF this high purpose viii be the
making of d complete card index Of each
publication to be found in the libraries Of
the country. This will cover many million
cards, as each book requires an average
of five cards to properly index It. with
the appropriate cross references. This in
dex will show in what libraries the rarer
works may be had. and application to
any library by a serious student will make
1t available. even II il has TO come from
the most distant corner Of the country
OF course such an arrangement would
require a complete and carefully worked
out organization, but with the library Of
congress as the firm nucleus around
which such an organization could be built
it is safe to predict that it could be made
to work well.
When this movement for the nstionali-
n
lied. America viii be ahead of every
other nation in library matters. Neither
the British nor the French libraries have
ever undertaken such a far-reacling
work. and they are hardly so constituted
as to warrant their doing so in the future.
II viii mark the most important step in
library progress vet taken by any NATION.
Already Mr.. Putnam has placed his
ideas into partial operation. and with the
most signal success. The library Of con-
grcss is now supplying at cost to other
libraries extra copies of cards repreS emit
ing books in their own collections also,
and offers facilities in its private printing
plant for the printing OF cards Of books
in other Libraries that are not in its own
collection. II keeps copies of these cards
TO inform itself ana other Libraries con
eerned as to their resources. and thus.
with its own cards furnished to them.
avoids needless duplication. and aids in
reciprocal service Furthermore. it has
facilities for relieving other libraries Of
accumulated m6teTial. not necessary in
their special work for supplying them
with such materials as they may need to
complete defective sets essential to their
work and for purchasing. at their in
stance. publications fundamental TO their
work. but beyond their means.
In addition to ell this. the library Of con-
grsss lends freely to other libraries. and
even deposits with them for long periods
such material as they require in their
work. they paying transportation Even
hnx
the compilation of reference lists and in
aid Of specific researches always at their
service.
Without losing sight Of the fact that the
library was founded for congress and by
congress. and that the lawmakers have
the first claims upon its attentions the
librarian is seeking in every way tO eX-
tend the scope and the usefulness Of his
work He has esta biShed a perfect CO.
operation between the library Of cor sress
and the libraries OF the various depart
meuts and bureaus of the government. so
that all told they have more than 3ttr9.-
COO books and pamphlets. Without sur
rendering their individual standing. their
work has been so merged that To- all in
tents and PURPOSES they constitute
much single library SIS If all the c0llec-
tons We're under one roof. Taken to-
gether. the government now has the lar
gest collection Of books in the world
What has been accomplished with respect
to the government libraries. it is hoped
viii r. accomplished with respect 30 al
American libraries.
The card index system which has been
established and the Dlau Of "TintinZ dr-
Dlicate cards for gretuitoUs supply TO the
various government libraries. and a. cost
to other libraries. has proved the enamel
nation Of the library worker. To costs
from twenty-five to fifty cents per vol
ume to catalogue library books. and from
fifteen t. thirty cents TO print the cards.
Duplicates are now supplied at two cents
FOR the first copy and one-haf cent for
each additional copy. The average book
requires five cards to approximately class
ifv and cross reference il. There are now
more than a thousand libraries subScrib-
ing for the printed cards Of the library
Of congress. and the number of subscrib-