Lapas attēli
PDF
ePub

and valuable Russian artistic monthly entitled "Zolotoe Runo" (Golden Fleece), for 1906-1909, containing reproductions of modern Russian paintings, with comments; the following three important treatises on the history of the dynasty of Romanoffs: "Gosudari iz doma Romanovykh, 1613-1913," "Tri vieka" (Three Centuries), published by I. D. Sytin, and "Trista liet tsarstvovaniia doma Romanolvykh, 1613-1913;" "Otechestvennaia voina, 1812," five volumes artistically illustrated; "Velikaia Reforma," six volumes artistically illustrated.

During the year the section has begun to develop the Polish subsection; a collection of 143 titles of representative modern Polish belles-lettres was purchased.

Among the gifts of 26 titles the most noteworthy is a Gifts. collection of 8 titles of Lithuanian publications presented to the Library by Rev. J. J. Koncevicius.

Exchange of official publications with the Slavic countries outside of Russia-Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes-was established years ago. The Library has been sending American publications regularly to these countries through the International Exchange Service of the Smithsonian Institution, but the Library has so far received very little in return, perhaps for the reason that these countries have not as yet succeeded in establishing a special office which would care for exchange of their official publications.

In these Slavic states, especially in Poland and Czechoslovakia, there has been a considerable increase in the output of publications as compared with the pre-war time.

The interest of readers in and visitors to the Library has also grown in regard to these new states. Inquiries in regard to their status and affairs, especially related to the bibliography of their informative and artistic literature, are increasing in number.

The considerable assistance given by the section to other divisions, especially to the divisions of accessions, documents, music, law, and the catalogue division in the matters of Slavic publications during the year has

held back the technical work in the section. With the appointment of new members with the knowledge of Slavic languages to the staffs of the divisions of documents and music the pressure for assistance was lessened so far as these two divisions were concerned.

Should the staff of the section be increased as it is planned the technical work could be resumed on a much larger scale than has been possible hitherto.

A plan has been worked out to classify the publications in the Yudin collection according to the classification outline of the Library, to write an authors' list on cards, and finally, to shelve the publications according to main classes in alphabetical order of the authors in each class.

The demand for assistance in bibliographical research and for translation of letters, documents, and text has required considerable work from the section.

ORIENTAL SECTION

CHINESE AND OTHER EAST ASIATIC BOOKS ADDED TO THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 1924-25

Doctor Swingle's report is given as Appendix III of this report.

BINDING

The number of volumes bound was only 20,731, as against 26,447 during the preceding year. Lack of funds was responsible for the discrepancy.

CATALOGUING

(From the report of the chief cataloguer, Mr. Martel) The number of volumes catalogued during the year was 79,143; accessions 65,619, recatalogued 13,524 (1923–24, 82,441 volumes, accessions 70,012, recatalogued 12,429). The titles held over from the preceding year were gradually printed along with the titles of the books catalogued currently, during the year, accounting for the increase in the number of cards filed from 394,623 to 476,955. By April, 1925, the arrears in card printing

had been disposed of, but a slight retardation in printing cards again became exigent for the last months of the year.

The list of American doctoral dissertations for the year 1922 and that for 1923 were printed and issued in short succession, and preparation of the list for 1924 is well advanced. Other publications issued were a revised Publications. reprint of the Guide to the cataloguing of serial publications of societies and institutions by Harriet W. Pierson; Guide to the cataloguing of periodicals by Mary W. MacNair, third edition; Subject headings, third cumulative supplement to the main list; and Subject subdivisions, sixth edition. The third edition of the Classification schedules of class Z, Bibliography, with additions and revisions to date, prepared by Eliza J. Skinner, is in press; Subject headings, monthly list no. 10, Literature subject headings, fifth edition, and Subject headings with local subdivisions, fourth edition, are other publications being revised for reprinting.

CLASSIFICATION

(From the report of the chief classifier, Mr. Perley)

The number of volumes classified and prepared for the shelves during the fiscal year 1924-25 was 78,485, of which 68,675 were new accessions and 9,808 were reclassified, including 2,447 transfers. The number of volumes shelflisted was 74,997, of which 67,634 were new accessions. These figures do not include several thousand volumes in religion which were reclassified but not yet shelflisted. The year preceding, the number of volumes classified and shelved was 76,366, of which 71,728 were new accessions and 4,638 were reclassified, including 2,363 transfers.

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The portion of the Library now classified under the new classification contains in round numbers 2,238,000 volumes, distributed as follows: Class A (Polygraphy), 107,500; B-BJ (Philosophy), 25,000; BL-BX (Religion), 94,000; C-D (History, exclusive of American), 200,000; E, F (American), 168,000; G (Geography), 35,500; H-J (Social and political sciences), 525,000; L (Education), 91,500; M (Music), 40,000; N (Fine arts), 48,000; P. (Language and literature), 206,500; PZ (Fiction in English), 79,000; Q (Science), 178,500; R (Medicine), 67,500; S (Agriculture), 76,000; T (Technology), 140,000; U

(Military science), 32,000; V (Naval science), 24,000; Z (Bibliography), 99,500; Incunabula, etc., 500.

In connection with the statistics of incunabula Mr.

Martel has supplied the following estimate:

The number of incunabula in the L. C. collection proper (i. e., exclusive of Thacher collection) is as follows so far as known:

L. C. Incunabula collection (shelflisted)

471

not shelflisted and in part uncatalogued (in inclosure) 83

[blocks in formation]

This number includes duplicates (22, in part imperfect copies, or bound with other works, etc.).

During the past year the division has lost through resignations six assistants, four shelflisters, and two messengers, a number somewhat smaller than the average for recent years but still regrettable considering the unusually high quality of the service rendered.

[ocr errors]

Since the close of the fiscal year the classification division has suffered a very great loss by the resignation of Prof. Alfred F. W. Schmidt, who left to become professor of library science and librarian at George Washington University. Professor Schmidt was first assistant in classification for the past 12 years (July 1, 1913, to September 30, 1925) and it is difficult to say enough for his value to this division, especially in the fields of history and philosophy, although his range of usefulness was far more extensive. The classification schemes for "Universal and old world history" and its supplementary volume on the European war may well serve as monuments to his intelligence, industry, and scholarship in the service of this library.

No publications have been issued by this division during the year, although the schemes for the classification of general philology and classical philology and literature reached the first revision of proof before printing appropriations were exhausted. It is especially unfortunate that with the remarkable growth of interest in our classi64329-25-10

« iepriekšējāTurpināt »