Five-year list the dates of receipt of 226 annual or biennial reports of state officers published since January have been compared with the corresponding dates for the previous issue, and by taking a mean of the differences it has been found that the Library has received these reports on the average nearly four months earlier than heretofore. As the principal demand for state documents is for the latest issues, it is obvious that the publication of the Monthly list enables the Library of Congress to render more effective service to those who use this material. At the same time, a useful bibliographical tool has been provided for other libraries interested in state publications, particularly those which serve the legislatures of the several states. The list was one of the principal topics discussed by the National Association of State Libraries at its annual meeting held in connection with the A. L. A. conference at Mackinac this year, at which a communication was presented outlining some of the difficulties encountered in compilation and inviting further cooperation. The evident interest of the state librarians and their expressed willingness to assist in making the record complete in every way practicable, indicate that a successful continuation of the publication will be made possible as far as the supply of material is concerned. At the meetings of the Special Libraries association and the American Association of Law Libraries, appreciative mention of the Monthly list of state publications was made by various members in the course of the proceedings. One feature which met with special approval was the inclusion of a select list of state laws of general interest, at any rate as far as these are printed separately in advance of the volumes of statutes. A beginning has been made with the compilation of a similar list to cover, in one volume with subject index, the state documents published during the five years, 1905 to 1909 inclusive, between the end of the period covered by vision of Docu Miss Hasse's “Index of economic material in the documents of the States" and the commencement of the Monthly list. It is expected that, with the cooperation of the state librarians, this will be completed for publication early next year. In the rearrangement of the collections consequent upon Location of Dithe completion of the southeast stack, provision has been ments made for the transfer of the legislative journals, collected documents, and general statistical publications to the east stack and the office of the Division of Documents to an adjacent room. This more convenient location will enable the Division to render more efficient service in making the document collections available for use. LAW LIBRARY (From the report of the Law Librarian, Mr. Beaman) The accessions during the year were as follows: The more noteworthy accessions have been: The original manuscript of the Laws of Virginia for the sessions of 1722-1726, on 27 folio pages. North Carolina session Laws, 1792-1799, original editions. Baden, Staats und Regierungsblatt, 1808-1841. 32 vols.; Bremen, Gesetzblatt, 1849-1900. 52 vols.; Denmark, Lovtidende, 1894-1908. 15 vols.; France, Journal de jurispru LAW LIBRARY: dence commerciale et maritime ou recueil des decisions notables rendues par le Tribunal de Commerce de Marseille et par la Cour d'Appel d'Aix, 1820-1908. 92 vols.; Germany, Archiv für die civilistische Praxis. Neue Auflage, 1822-1855. 35 vols.; Archiv für Theorie und Praxis des allgemeinen deutschen Handelsrechts, herausgegeben von F. B. Busch, 1863-1888. 51 vols.; Beiträge zur Erläuterung des deutschen Rechts. Begründet von J. A. Gruchot, 1857-1905. 54 vols.; Eisenbahnrechtliche Entscheidungen, herausgegeben von Eger, 1885-1908. 25 vols.; Rechtsprechung der Oberlandesgerichte, 1900-1908. 16 vols.; • Zeitschrift für deutschen Civilprozess. Begründet von L. H. Busch, 1879-1907. 36 vols.; Malta, Collezione di decisioni dei tribunali superiori, 1858-1900. 15 vols.; Roman Law, Corpus juris civilis romani, Dionysii Gothofredi, 1828-1830. 5 vols. INDEX TO THE STATUTES AT LARGE The Index to the Statutes at Large, the continuation of the preparation of which was authorized by the appropriation acts for the fiscal years 1910 and 1911, is nearing completion. The page-to-page examination of the statutes for the period 1789-1873 is now nearly finished, and little remains but the work of revision, editing, and putting the work through the press. It is expected that the volume will be ready for distribution about January 1. It will be similar in classification, scope, and plan to Volume I, already published, which covered the general and permanent law in the Revised Statutes of 1873 and the Statutes at Large from 1873 to 1907. DIVISION OF MAPS AND CHARTS (From the report of the Chief, Mr. Phillips) The tables following, A and B, respectively show the number of accessions for the year and the total number of pieces in the Map Division. TABLE A-Accessions, July 1, 1909, to June 30, 1910 TABLE B-Total number of pieces in Map Division, June 30, 1910 The above tables include an increase of 597 pieces for the fiscal year 1909-10, as a result of purchases made in Europe in the summer of 1909 by the Chief of this Division. The preceding tables do not include the total number of sheets in the Sanborn insurance collection, the British Ordnance Survey, or the Egyptian Survey, which number as follows: Description Accessions 1909-10 Total Sanborn insurance maps. . 1,112 maps in 12,026 20,875 maps in Noteworthy accessions include 41 manuscript maps relating mostly to the French campaign in Santo Domingo during the reign of Napoleon I, and two admirable facsimiles of elaborate manuscript maps in the Dépôt de la Marine. (See Appendix IV) Among the atlases acquired were the excessively rare Lafreri (1554-1573) and the English folio edition of Ortelius of 1606. DIVISION OF MUSIC (From the report of the Chief, Mr. Sonneck) Accessions of the Music Division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1910) Contents of the Music Division at the close of the fiscal year June 30, 1910 Music: The Div.sion contained up to June 30, 1909, 499, 450 Accessions during the fiscal year numbered vol- 16, 513 Total on June 30, 1910.. 515, 963 Literature of music: The Division contained up to June 30, 1909, vol umes, pamphlets, etc.... 21, 478 Accessions during the fiscal year numbered Total on June 30, 1910.. Instruction: The Division contained up to June 30, 1909, vol umes and pieces. Accessions during the fiscal year numbered. Total on June 30, 1910. Grand total, volumes, pamphlets, etc. 2, 347! 23,825 II, 861 923 12, 784 552, 572 |