The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1921-03-04

modating those books For, under the system u
interlibrary loan, they are made available TO lii
vestigators throughout the United States. IN 'nis
respect it differs from national libraries aDroau'
which purely reference libraries which MuS'
be consulted on the spot.
Its printed cards represent service wnlci AZ
also unique, the one successful attempt on gen
eral scale to centralize once for all the expense
of ~ cataloguing books and (2) of mani1oioihg
the catalogue entries.
In addition it is ~ legislative library Tor
congress; (2) the main reference library TOT the
executive departments and bureaus; (3) the law
library of the Supreme court; az the copyrlght
office Of the United States; and (5) the national
library to give special service for the entirs
country.
It's reference readers number as many as those
in the British Museum. or the Bibliotheque Ma
tionale; but the facilities accorded them, for ex-
ample of direct access to the shelves, surpass
those of any other considerable reference library
whatever. Unlike the Bibliotheque Rationale and
British Museum. which close at shutdown, the Ma
tional Library is open till ten o'clock every eve
ming, and on Sundays from two until ten.
Its building is in cubic area about 100000
cubic feet equal to that of the. Capitol. In lOor
area it greatly exceeds 1t. Its shelving capacity
is sufficient to accommodate 35OO.O0O volumes ana
can be increased to double that number.
The total appropriation for the library. the
copyright Office and the care of the building and
grounds is about $4,000 per annum. Against
this are receipts copyright fee. and proceeds OF
sales of the printed cards, tOtaling about $780,
OOO so that the net outlay for the library is
about $4,000 per annum. In addition, there is,
however the expense for printing and binding,
for which the annual allotment has Eeen about
100000 The amount annually spent for books
and other material for collections is about $685.
OOO This barely sufices for the ordinary mate
rial.
IN fhpco NO
Public (oficia) documents Of all countries, re-
sulting from the international exchanges conduct
ed nv the Library itself. And in special fields OF
literature, for example: Americana. including the
results of copyright; political science; law; and
certain Unexpectedly groups, for example: Rus
STA. the Yudin collection S0,000 volumes, perhaps
the most thorough outside of Russia; China, one
of the largest and in certain respects certainly
the richest, outside of China.
It's collection of music is probably the largest
in the world. Developed for the needs of the
serious investigator-compo critic, historian.
conductor-it is rendering signal service to such
investigators In America. For instance, in no
other institution in the world could the history
of modern opera be studied or written as here.
Its collection of prints developed on its recent
side by copyright or its more classical side by
gift is constantly drawn upon for illustration. and
the exhibits from it interest, inform and influence
thousands of visitors annually.
In conclusion Mr.. Tess said: 1T may not be
known to all members of the house that here in
Washington, connected with the various research
divisions of the government is located the greatest
group of great scholars that can be found in any
center in all the world. I want to emphasize that
statement 1t is absolutely true. These scholars
are associated with the various governmental de-
partments each of which has special library facil-
ity for its use. The step necessary to make the
largest use of the capital the worlds greatest
center for scholarship is national university as
a research institution to utilize the vast library
sources and the laboratory facilities connected
with the various departments of the government,
rich beyond those of any other country on the
globe. This would at once give this capital the
first rank of all capitals as the worlds greatest
intellectual center-a mecca to which the scholars
Of the future win come to add to the total
of knowledge. This contamination is easily with
In reach"