The Denver Jewish news., 1919-04-30
GENEROUS GIFT By LIBRARY OF
CONGRESS- TO HEBREW UNI
VERSITY.


Thru the keen interest Of Herbert
Putnam. librarian of the Congress ct
the United States, in the Hebrew tni-
,ersity concerning which he received
much information while in Paris where
he filet Mr.. Jacob defiaas, and other
members OF the American Zionist Del
cgation to the Peace Conference, the
university will become the possessor
, of the main catalogue CT the great
American national library. The mag
nitude of the gift and the motive act.
ttating it can be judged by the fol-
lowing letter:
MY dear Mr.. deHaas:
I'm President Wilson's letter of
August 31st) to Rabbi Wise. express
ing satisfaction at the prospect of the
establishment of national home for
the Jewish people, he. adds that An
Americans will be deeply moved by
the report that even. III. this time of
stress that Weitzman Commission has
been able to lay the foundation of
the Hebrew University at Jerusalem,
with the promise that that bears of
spiritual rcbirth.' All thinking men
everywhere will rejoice in the pros,
pect offered of the creation at so o1-
pOrtune time and at so. appropriate
"A point. of a eentQg ,fort gspefti' seicn1
tlific study and research. with especial
attention to the history, thesiiterature.
and the problems of tile nc:tr East.
From this aspect the project becomes
one of general interest and CONCERN /:
nnd the plans for it, as have recent
ly become informed of them, seem to
me entitled to every support Thar can
he useful to them, not merely In ap-
proval but in resources AMI material.
''Thc university will need u library !:
= indeed. for such university The Ii
brary will be the very core of its lab
oratory equipment.
Il am sure that you may count up
on the aid of American libraries and
librarians in forming and developing
the collections; and have no hesita-
ton in pledsing you the aid of the
Library of Congress as regards both
| the collections and apparatus.
''To the latter its most important
contribution would be II complete set
of the printed cards. which constitute
the main catalogue of its own collec-
lions. AS an exhibit of the resources
of tile largest library on the western
hemisphere, these cards in themselves
form. of course, bibliographieal tool
Of no small scope and efficiency. The
SOOOO0 cards already in print cover
over million volumes -among them
a large percentage of the books III
science and the arts of most concern
tr your enterprise; and their area is
cnlarging at the rate of about 40.OGU
caSis or $4,000 volumes. u year.
For. certain uses the cards are
sold. AT certain eenters of research,
however, complete set of them is
placed without charge-not merely to
| inform investigators of the resources
of our National Library, upon which
/ they are encouraged TO draw, but also
as n contribution to photographic
learning.
Il see no reason why the Univcr-
sity Of Jerusalem should not be made
such depository; and III the pros
rect which it offers Of serviceablc use,
see numerous reasons why 1t should
become one. There is no other de-
pository set within this region, nor
near il. Indeed there is, thus far,
only one on the entire continent
that at the International Bureau OF
Bibliography at Brussels.
Every. other publication of the Ii
brary of Congress will also. AS a mat.
among the duplicates of certain
of the American libraries ] have 10
doubt that there will be some which
will be available for your collections
also.
"with best wishes for such dcvcl-
opment of your project and resources
as shall enable such contributions to
he taken full benefit Of believe me
"HERBERT PUTNAM
Librarian of Congress-