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A N N U A T , R E P O R T
THE PROGRESS OF THE LIBRARY
I;esoZr.ed, .Tllntt l lo AI~IIII:~~vport of the Lihrsrirrn of C o ~ ~ g m se prilltcul, nlid that600 additional colbicw, will1 cclvo1.6,bu pri~~trclor diatrib~~tiouy tho Librnrinl~.
IITASHINCSTON:G O V E R NM E N T PBTNTINV O F F T O E .1886.
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ANNUAL REPOBT08m
L I B R A R I A N 'OF C O N G R E S S .
LIBRARYOF C O N B R ~ E I ,Washington, March 16, 1886.
Tbe Librarian presents herewith his annual report, embracing a sum-mary of th e recent increase of the collections of this Library, and of thebusiness of th e copyright department for the lsst calendar pear, closingDecember 9' 1886.The annuhi count of the books and pamphleta in the Library has againbeen a matter of much difficulty, because of the grea tly increased over-crowding of the collections in every part. The following exhibits theresult of the enumeration as made January 1,1886:Volnmes of books........................................................ 58,134Pamphlets.....................................................,..... 191,000
Or'this aggregate, the law department of the Library contains 66,284volumes, of which 3,019 volumes have been added during the yaw.
The total increase during the year 1885 has been 20,447 volumes,fromthe following soui-ces, respectively :
VolomerFkom p o r c h............................................................. 4,384From copyright deposits.................................................... 7,214From deposit by the Smithsoniau Institution................................ 2.%23From excbngea ............................................................ 4 , WFrom donatione ....................%.................................... 1,744From incr e~ le f the Toner collectio~l presented) ........................... 183
Total ................................................................ 20,447The copyright office continues to exhibit an increased business in all
departments of publications entered for copyright. The aggregate en-tries during the calendar year 1885 numbered 28,411, as against 26,893entries in 1884, being an increase of 1,518 entriw. The fees receivedfor copyright amounted to $23,29+60, being an increme of $1,52i)&Oover the preceding year. 3
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.4 REPORT OF T HE LIBRARIAN O F CONGBEB8.The following summary exhibits t:he different classes and numbem of
publications entered by their titles for copyright during 1885:Nzlmbtr and deoignotion o artwbs entered in 18% .
Boob...................................................................... 9~9%Periodicale................................................................. 6.060.....................................................ramatic cornpoeitions 6%Musical compositione....................................................... 6,808Photographs................................................................ 963Engravings and chromoe ................................................... 1, 96Maps and charta ............................................................ 1,897Printe..................................................................... 80Designs .................................................................... 486Paintings .................................................................. 94Drawing8 .................... . ........................................ 15-
otal ................................................................ 28.410MThe.>@dowing is a statement of the aggregate number of each classof pu&catioos deposited in th e Library. and the additions thus madeto the collections by the copyright law :
hrumbtr o copytightpubl icot imr r d c e d a lat15.Booke ..................................................................... 14. 4%Periodical8................................................................. 1% 938....................ramatic cornpoeitione........................... ..'.... 310Musical compositic.ne....................................................... 12.883Photogrephe............................................................... 1,859Engravings and chmmos ................................................... 2.6%Maps and char ts ...................... .-.................................. 3, 581Printe...................................................................... 139Designs and drawings ...................................................... &P
............otal ...... .............................................. 48. 860The deposit of copies required by law to perfect the copyright be-ing two of each publication. the net additions to the collections duringthe year numbered' 24.430 distinct publications. of which 7.214 werebooks. and 6. 469 were periociicals.The following is a lis t of unexpended balances in the various funds
appropriated for the Library on January 1. 1886:Fund for increase of the Librery......................................... $8.904 @2Fund for worke of art ................................................... 10.W 22F u u d for contingent expeuses of Library ................................. 1.304 07Fund fur printing and binding .......................................... 4, 118 15Fun d for purchase and prin ting of onpublished historical manuticripte re-
lating to early French disooveries in America .......................... 3, 160 04Fund for preparing for publica tion th e continuation of the AmericanArchives.............................................................. 4, 000 00There have been added to the Library during th e year continued files
of many newspapers and periodicale. contributed by the Department ofState and by the Bureau of Statistice and t>he Mint Bureau of t h e
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REPORT OF THE LIBRAaIAN OF CONQBE88.' 5Treasury Department. T h e ~ e nd other contributions of books au dpamphlets uot needed by the special 1ibr:wies of the Departments,while th'e,v couduce to th e dompleteness and collseqoent value of t heLibrary of th e Government, add more and more to th e urgent necessityfor s new Libra ry building.
THE TONER COLLEOTION.The liberal gift of his entire private library to the United States byDr. J. M. Toner, of Washington, accepted by Congress iu 1882, has been
supplemented during the year 1885 by the presentatiou of 183 volu~nesof books and of 615 pamphlets, in addition to the accessions of previ.ous years, noted i n former annual reports. Thie is aleo in addition to ,the extensive :bud co~~s tal ~tly -gro wingollectiou of rnarluecript materialcollected by the researches of the douor, dero ted specially to the biog-raphy of Americans, and gathered from the widest available eources inbooks, newspapers, an d periodicale and private correspondence.
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES.Under various acts of Congress, beginning in 1867 and amended a t
later dates, the re was set on foot a system of exchanges of t he docu-ments and other pllblications of the United S tates for those of foreignGovernments. l'i,oe acts make the Smithsouian Institutiou the agencyof the Jo iu t Committee on the Library for effectittg these exchauges,and require that 50 copies of all documents of Congress aud of everypublication issued by any Department or Bureau of th e Goverumentshall be exchanged for such works published by foreign Government8as lua~y e deemed by the Library Com~uit tee u equivaleut, t he fruiteof such exchanges to be placed in the Library of Congress.
Under the i~n tho rity f these :~c ts he publications of the UuiteclStates h a v e beell sent regularly each gear to thirty-eight foreignQor-erumeuts, wbo8e offiwl.s rrsyouded hrrortibly to overtures for regularexoltc~ngeu. Very inadequate returns, however, have beeu receivedfrom some countries, while from others very rich and in~po rtan t toresof documente, including legal, political, historical, and scientific publi-cations, have cotne to hand. A slnall appropriation of $1,000 hasheen au~~uallyade by ~ o u g ~ e s eo defray the necessary expenses ofthese rxchauges of Government publications. This has been qui teinadeqnate to do more than to pay for clerical labor. Repeated effortsbare beer] made by correspondeuce condncted with foreign Govern-ments, th rough the Smithsouiltl~ nstitu tion and the Departmeat ofState, to secure more itdequste retu nis from the Governments to whicihthe publications of the United S ta tes (an extensive and costly series)have been so liberally snpplied through a long series of gears. Veryslight results, however, ha re attended these endeavors. A few deanl-tory retllr~l swere occneioaally rec~ived,ollowed by an entire stoppage
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,6 REPOBT OF THE LIBRARIAN OF COfJQRE88.of the transmission of docomenb. The restilt of the exchanges thue farhas been to supply the Library with nlany publications of perlnabueiltva,lue aud with many more fra,gmentary sets of laws, journals, reports,ant1 miscellaneous publications, the principal value of which to thccollection depends upon the colnpleteness of the series. The deficien-cies in all these series are very exteusive, thus depriving Congress ofth at full access to the curreut legislation and coudition of foreigu couu-tries which is so important to those seeking officia.1 nforluatioi~ hereon.
Jt has loug been apparent that no permanent iml~rovenientu th e verydefective ope rat io~ ~sf theve interuntioual exchanges can be expecteduntil some sl~ecial geucy is organized in Europe to give personal at ten -ti011 to t he practical business of secrlring full re t~ irus f all GovrrumentpublicatJon8. Tho distr ibution of clocnn~ents r~ cattered in nlost Gov-er n~ne nt s mong different bureaus, with no columon head. Moreover,most Governmeut publications e re issued hy arrangement with privatepublishiug houses, instead f by Government presses, thus renderingthe books to a partial extr .c publications to which e commercial valueis attached, and coml)lic .cing the question of exchange with th at of apecuniarg valuation of publica,tions given ant1 received. Iu very fewcountries is there ally general law regulating this matter, while bile Fa-rious internet,iona.l con fere~~ceseld s t Paris and a t Rrnsselv with a rie wto the adoption of a uuifortu system of exchanges ha re failed to enlis tthe co-operation of several of the most important European Govern-ments. Moreorer, t,here are issued many special prtblications which oanbe obtained only by speci:l,l efforts. An agent of the United St ateseither co~l stautly pon the ground, or visiting periodically a t regular in-terrslu the bureans of the Go re r~ lu ~e ntn the mrious conntries, sup-plied with full lis ts both of our wants and of the publications, regularaucl s]~? cii ~l,f the Goverumeut presses, would fnn~isll permanent and,it nlaY be addecl, t,heonly efficient gu:~ran teeof realizing from t,he uys-tem of interuatio~ral xchanges what we have :I, right to expect.
An init'iatorj- step was taken duriilg the last Cougress, when an agentin the enll~loy f the Si ~~ ith so ~i ianustitution, in charge of itnsyst,elu,was sent. toEnrope, o~ ~e -h al ff his exp e~~ seseil ~g aid by theIi~fititlltiol~nd o~le-h:l.lfout of the Library ti~ nds. The reslllts of theexl~erilnrlrt,iitllongl~ t filastattempt ill a new fiel~l,were I U O S ~g ~ t i f y -iug. . In the few ~ u o ~ it l~ sevoted to the labor, there were secured bydilige l~t tfnrt, bi~clied y the reqnisit~?ffici:tl ~ot~llorityrolu the Secre-tary of the S111ithsoni;ulirstitotio~l,he Department of St,ato,and the Li-braria11of Congress, very extensive retlirlls of public t1ocumeut.sand uiis-cellaneous publications. Theseret~~n~~co~~l~)risecl0rt.y-fourc;lses a~lrlone.hundl-edn~~clsistypi~cl~agesofooks, 1,nrnl)ering abolit7,000 volumc?s, re-ceived ill 1SS.I-S5, a.nc1 were collectt~cl rom the Gorerumeuts of GreatBr i t a i~~ ,ra.~~c.c.(;er~r~alry,It:tly,Uelgium, tl~ eNet l~erl auds ,wedeu, Nor-way, Denu~ark,Bnugnrx, Saxo~~y,\'urternberg, Bavaria, alrtl Switzer-land, fonrteen ( f o re r ~ ~u ie ~ ~ hn all. T'ie~~nltas also visited, but nffaim.
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REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CON(tBE88. 7were not in a sta te farorable to he succes ~f negotiations, and no reanltwas reached as o the g~~bl ici ttiousf the Aus triau Coverument. Severalother Gorernmeuts from which retllrns were thus secured, have alsofailed to coi~tiuue ending the aeries of their palliameutary aud othertlocuments, the value of which i~ largely dependent upon their con-tinuity.
The experierlce of years has amply proved the irupossibility of secur-ing any complete or adequate return from foreign Governments for thefull and costly series of A~ r~ericanovernmeut publications so long fur-nished them, without direct and persistent effort, through au agencyupon the ground, furi~ishedwith adequate credentials, to attend per-sonally to the whole business. One of the chief benefits of the initialeffort al re ad j made has been the cli~covery f the practical obstacles inthe way of a thoroughly succecjsful sjs tem of exchanges. These, it isbelieved, could be removed by following up the work wifh each Govern-ment, while, if ueglectecl, or left to the very uncertain mediilm of cor-respo~~dencc*,he Ul~itedStates mill c o~ ~t in ueo reap very inadequatereturus for our piiblicatiou~ ent abroad. It i8 recommended t ha t theJoint Committee on the Library consider the expediency of providingan appropriation to defray the necessary expenses of an ageut of iuter-national exchanges, to he xellt abroatl for a term of at least six monthsduring the present year.It is also reco~n~neutleclha t the act directing the printing of 50copies of each pi~blicat~ionrtlered by anyDepsrtmeut or Bureau,to beclevotecl to international exchanges, be so amended as o render its pro-visious Inore efti tive .
THE NEEDS OF THE LIBRARY.I t is sma tt er of much regret tha t the continuation of the printing of
the new general catillogne of the Library has beeu long interrupted be-cause of the engrossiug aud ralbidly increasiug business of the copy-right department. This ha^ so far developed as a c tu al l~o iuvolve theclerical labor of w l~at 11ight airly he termed a bureau, ahsorh~ngmoreaud Inore the time of my assistants, while the cataloguing and ar range-ment for lbrolupt s1111pl~- f all llew adtlitionv to the Library, with thegrowieg de r~ ~i ~~ ld sf Co~tgress, f the various Departments and Bureaus,and of t l ~ r)iiblic for books a11d iuformtition, leave no time for the prep-aratior~l11c1 ri l~tinj?:f catalojiues. -4n ncrease of the existiug smallLibrary force is earnestly rec om~ ne~ ~rleds necessary to prevent the cur-rent work of the Library a n d the copyright department from fallinginto arrears. The very r~ulllerous alls upon the Librarian for certifiedcopies of r.eoords of copyrigh t rnarle in former years, ofteu ir~volving ro-tracted searches into the earlier books of recorcl of the United S ta tesdistrict conrts, co11s11me uuch time, and often necessitate delay, that thepressing daily record of uem copyrights may not be interrapted.
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8 REPORT OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS.The pa,st;year has added greatly to the urgency of the long.felt neces.
sity for some relief to th e o\-erorowded conditiou of t.he Library. It sex te~~s iveollectious are contiri~ially rowing Inore esku ei re , while uoincrease of space, except by 11tilizing iiuder g rea t tlisadvar~t.aaes he.crypts of t he Capitol, has been provided. Even We latt er temporaryresonrce has now been exhausted, aud the number of books nhiclr~ll ii st e piled upon the floor8 is constantly increased. The labor of Chc!Lib rar im aud hie assistants, a,ntl the time necesssrily cousumed iu yro-ducing froui widely separated divisions of t,he Library boolts whiclrwo\ild be care.f~rlly lassified upon shelves were any shelves availablefor th at purpose, ar e made far greater by the loug de.lay to provide ad-di tio~l al ccoln~nodatioils or the Library. A bili providing .or e Li-brary buildiilg, with an~pleNpace for p resent necessities a.11cl fu turcgrowth, has been twice passed by th e Senate, bu t has failed to receivefinal cousideration in th e House of Representatives. Wit-hout here re-peat ing :tny of the ~luleroris ousiderations urged in former reportein favor of t.his r .d.sure as demanded alike bx the necessities of Cou-gresS a.ud the public'~er vice,and reqnirerl for the security i ~ n d reser-vation of the Government propert,y, the nl~cleraignetlhere renews hisexpressioit of tlie hope that t.he boilding wil l be provided for a t thepresent seseioii of Cougreuu.
AINSWORTEl R. SPOPFOBD,L i O m r i a n of' C o n n g r ~ s .Hou. WILLIAM . SEWELL,Clia.irntun of the Joint Uommittee on tlre Library.
