Evening star., 1943-05-20
Mr.. MocLeish's Report

of the Allies.
Mr.. Mocleish's Report
In theory it may be supposed that
every intelligent person knows what
the greatest photographic institution
in the world is and to what purpose
it operates. But the annual report of
Archibald MacLeish, as administra-
tive director of the Library of Con-
gress, contains certain observations
which serve to expand the traditional
definitions. The custom of present.
ing the progress of the establishment
in departmental divisions has been
abandoned, and the chronicle of
progress for the year ending June 80,
1912, reflects the development of the
Library as whole.
Mr.. MacLeish, having thus brought
into focus many varying units, then
submits: "A collection of books is not
merely large number of books, and
the usefulness Of collection is not
measured In numbers of readers
alone or in quantity of service" He
views the Library as a single organ
ism In which each part supports and
enriches every other part" Specif1-
cally, "the usefulness of a collection
Is Its responsiveness as a collection to
the needs Of readers, either through
the finding machinery of the card
trays or througl4 the selective lists
OF photographers, or through the
learning and ingenuity of the refer
ence librarians-its availability by
rapid and intelligent service in the
reading rooms, or by prompt and
efficient delivery to outside users or
by loan through other libraries, or by
the provision of Photographic copies" :"
The philosophy expressed in these
words, obviously, is a pragmatic doc
trine. Mr.. MacLeish is not interested
In the Library simply as depository.
"A book" he explains, rs not merely
a volume on given subject. It is a
volume on a given subject which has
been selected and catalogued and
fitted into system of classification
and placed upon the shelves In such
way as to make it part of the
whole body Of learning as the whole
body OF learning Is represented in
that Library; an atom, noble or
humble, in a total structure which
has a form and integrity Of it's own
quite apart from the form and integ-
rity Of its components. 1t is volume,
moreover, which is present in the
Library rot merely to be present
there, but as an object of use, as an
instrument Of learning"
Mr.. MacLeish does not say so, but
it is implicit throughout his report
that he regards the Library of Con-
gress as a national institution. not
exclusively nor even particularly re-
served to the Government and its
elected or appointed personnel.
Without for q moment proposing
that the Library could have any
better patron or guardian than Con-
gress, he visions the entire American
people as readers, and the Library's
opportunities for usefulness" to
them as "endless" much so, in
deed, that "the evaluation of accom-
plishment In statistical terms Is
impossible"
Fairness to his predecessors calls
for recognition of the fact that they
also visioned the Library as living
institution OF vast cultural and social
influence. Mr.. MacLeish's contribu-
ton is one of emphasis and direction.
He accepts the challenge of the times
for the prompt and unrestricted
characterization of helpful knowledge
as an asset of civilization. What he
wants of his fellow-Americans is that
they should appreciate the Library
profit by its facilities and add to
them by the exercise of their own
genius. He summarizes his goal and
his hope in the word which he re.
peats again and again: "Respon-
siveness"