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Information: Answers to inquiries.

7. (If not requiring elaborate research) for other particular facts in history or literature; in the organization or operations of the Federal Government.

8. (Where of moderate extent) for an extract from a book in its possession.

Its ability to make extracts or to undertake research (other than purely bibliographic) is necessarily limited, and its usual course is to refer the inquirer to the sources and recommend to him a person to undertake the search or make the extract at his expense.

Its willingness to compile lists of authorities has led to demands which it can not readily meet, particularly from students in secondary schools or colleges. To these it customarily responds with the appended circular:

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"A statement has been made that the Library of Congress is ready to aid students and scholars by sending to them bibliographic lists. This is true; but such aid, to be really effective, must come through a knowledge of the specific wants and needs of the applicant and the existing conditions under which he is working-i. e., what library facilities are within his reach.

"In the matter of sending material for individual student work or for the preparation of intercollegiate debates, the Library of Congress can cooperate intelligently only with the college library. Will you, therefore, make your request through the library of the institution in which you are studying? Upon such request being submitted we shall see that the printed lists of the Library of Congress, as far as they are fitted to the expressed need and are available for distribution, are sent to the library of your university. If the college library wishes to supplement its resources and has not opportunity or facilities to prepare certain specific bibliographic matter not covered by printed lists, proof of this inability must come to us in the form of a request from its librarian. The Library of Congress then stands ready to make suggestion or provide references which may bear directly upon the work of the college course as indicated. "Washington, D. C.

"HERBERT PUTNAM
"Librarian of Congress

"NOTE. The publications of the Library of Congress are generally available for free distribution to libraries; individuals can obtain copies by sending to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., who will supply prices upon application."

JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION

(Report of the Assistant in Charge, Mr. Hastings)

By the terms of the law authorizing the Jamestown Expo-
sition, the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Con-
gress were especially authorized to prepare exhibits which
would be illustrative of the historical development of the
United States. The amount allotted to the Library of Con-
gress, $5,000, was judged to be insufficient to warrant the
Library in attempting to make an elaborate historical ex-
hibit. Instead, it was decided that the Library would de-
part somewhat from its established policy of not allowing
its manuscripts and rare imprints to leave the Library build-
ing, and to exhibit materials in its possession which would
constitute, to some extent, a historical exhibit.

The exhibits were classified under the Division of the
Library from which they were taken or by which they were
contributed, and an effort was made to have as many of the
divisions represented as possible.

Manu-

scripts Division

I give below a summary of the exhibits of each Division.
A manuscript volume of the transcript of the Records of The
the Virginia Company of London, with the corresponding
printed volume (published by the Library of Congress in
1906) exhibited for comparison. A series of letters showing
the handwriting of the Presidents of the United States.
Manuscript containing the signatures of the members of the
Virginia Cincinnati, 1783. The Ambler manuscripts relat-
ing to early land transfers in the vicinity of Jamestown.
Broadsides of the period just preceding the Revolution.

The four "mother maps" of Virginia. A selection of other The Map Di-
early maps of colonial America. A selection of early maps

of the world.

vision

A selection of fifty of the rarest of the early American Printed Books
imprints in the Library of Congress, one-half of them relat-

ing to Virginia, the other half relating to the other colonies.

POSITION:

Division

The Library also contributed a selection of about two hun-
dred books (duplicates) to constitute a lending library for
employees connected with the exhibit of the United States
Government.

JAMESTOWN EX- Sections selected from the "Third official catalogue,"
The Catalogue comprising about 175,000 cards. Cards corresponding to
books listed in the A. L. A. Catalog (1904) arranged (1) in a
dictionary catalogue, (2) in a classed catalogue according
to the "Decimal system," (3) in a classed catalogue accord-
ing to the "Expansive system.", A collection of catalogues
illustrating the development of the catalogue of the Library
of Congress up to its present form, as illustrated by the sec-
tion of the "Third official catalogue" mentioned above, com-
prising: (1) Complete collection of the printed catalogues
in book form, 1802 to 1880, (2) the “pasted slip" book cata-
logue, (3) a tray of the large sized cards from the old Official
Catalogue. The two hundred books, referred to under
Printed Books above, were plated, labelled, and shelf listed
by the Catalogue Division, to illustrate the process of pre-
paring a book for the shelves at the Library of Congress.

Card Section
(Catalogue Divi-
sion)

Miscellaneous catalogues made up by arranging Library
of Congress cards in various ways, viz: (1) Shelf list of cards
on American history (general), (2) shelf list of cards on
bibliography, (3) cards for United States documents, (4)
cards for State documents, (5) four sets of cards for books
printed in America before 1801, arranged (a) by author, (b)
by place of publication, (c) by date of publication, (d) by
printer.

Division of Set of all the bibliographies of special topics thus far com-
piled by the Division, exhibited in unbound form with cover

Bibliography

The Periodical
Division

of each exposed.

A selection of early colonial newspapers.

A complete collection of the publications of the Library Publication of Congress issued since 1897.

Section (Order
Division)

perintendent

A section of the stack and shelving used at the Library of Office of the SuCongress, filled with books.

fice

Statistical tables illustrative of the work of the Copyright Copyright OfOffice and photographs of interiors of rooms occupied by it. Selection of works illustrating the history of music in Music Division the United States; also a selection of the works of foreign

composers.

Engravings or photographs of Presidents born in Virginia, Prints Division and their homes. A selection of cartoons (broadsides).

Binding Divi

sion

Exhibit of bound volumes showing kinds of covering material used at the Library of Congress; also sheets showing various stages in the process of binding. Brief explanatory notes accompany each volume or item, and an eight-page pamphlet, "Exhibit of bookbindings prepared for the Jamestown Exposition," is for distribution, giving general information as to binding materials and methods of binding. Books for the blind, apparatus for teaching the blind, Reading room samples of the work of the blind.

A new edition of the pamphlet, "The Library of Congress and its work," was prepared by the Publication Section for distribution in connection with the exhibit. Considerable new matter was added, and a half-tone cut of the Library inserted as a frontispiece. The pamphlet in its present form seems to be thoroughly appreciated by visitors to the exposition.

The more valuable materials exhibited are removed from the cases as soon as the building is closed, and kept in a fireproof safe. During the day they are locked in exhibit cases and guarded by a trusted attendant from the Library force.

for the blind

LEGISLATION NEEDED

None of the matters referred to in my Report for 1905 (pp. 94-95), as needing attention in statute, have as yet received it. The authority requested in my Report of last year "for the transfer to the Department of Commerce and Labor of the records and the letter files of the Industrial Commission deposited in the Library in pursuance of a resolution of Congress, February 21, 1902," was granted by joint resolution approved March 4, 1907. The transfer has since been effected.

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