US Copyright Office: ar-1879

8/14/2019 US Copyright Office: ar-1879

1/4

A N N U A L BEPORT

LIBRARIAN OF CONGRESS,

PROGRESS AND CONDITION OF THE LIBRARY:

T H E Y 'EAR 1879.

WASHINGTON:B O V E B N Y [ E N T P B I A T I N O OFPIC%.1888 . .


2/4

A N N U A L R E P O R TOF THE

LIBRARIAN O F CONGRESS,

The nnclersignecl has the honor to submit to the Joint Committee ont l~ c ibrary his annual report, embracing the customary statistics of thegrowth of the Library and the business of the copyright departmentcl~iring he calendar year 1879.

Renemecl difficulty has been experienced in the annnal euumeratiollof the books and other pnblications constituting the library collections,owing to the overci'owded condition, not oilly of the shelves, but of t hetloors in the alcoves and outlying rooms. The publications received111iderhe copyright law, embracing not only books and periodicals, bu ta gat variety and quantity of maps and works of graphic a rt , whilevery valuable, occupy a great space, and the only possible way of deal-ing with portions of then1 in the confined quarters to which the Library i s~rom imited is to pile them in constantly gmwing heaps upon the floors.The shelf-room of the Libraiy, adequate to the accommoclstion of about380,000 volumes ouly, has been long since exhausted, and, a s pre\-ionsrcyorts of the Librarian have shown, all possible meaus of adding to it,Iby the introdt~otionof temporary wooden cases of shelves, h a r e beenexhausted also, until now the collections of the Librnry present a spec-tude of overcrowling and apparent confusion painful to beholders, ob-~tructiveo the Librarian and his assistants in the discharge of theirdoties, and extremely injurious to the utility of the Library, both to thet\vo houses of Congress and to the public.

Tlle additions macle during the year hare been 21,367 volnmea ofbooks a.nd 12,050 pamphlets, from t he sources na,med below :

Pam-Bookr. phlets.Jlg purchaee ...................................................... 6,524 3651)s copyright ..................................................... 10,529 7,1332By deposit of the Smithonian Institntion.. .......-, .............. 2,1354 2,219Iiydonation ...................................................... 4'20 635Bg exchange ...................................................... 1.040 1,169--

otnl ....................................................... !21,367~1'2,%0


3/4

4 REPORT O F TH E LIBRARIAX O F CONGRESS.!Phew accessiolis ha\-e brought the nggregatewWction np to 374,W:"

volnmes of books, besides about 120,000 pawphlets . Of this aggivg:tr~~the larr departllleut of the library ~ k ~ u n b r s6,S23 \-oluunes, an d the 111iheaiianeons iiblxry Sai,lW 1-oin~iies. A t the da te of nly last 1-epol-t, 1:1 Inary 1,1859, th e whole Library numbered 352,655 rohulnes, and Il0,Ool~~sarnl~hlets.

The copyright department of the Libraly exhibits an nnnsna,l deg~.c.t.of grorrth dluil~ghe r e a r 1579. Tlre entire bnsiness of elltries of colb)right titles aud deposit.^ of publications to secure copyright in the Uuitc-clSta tes having beell placed i11 charge of t.he Lib ra ri a, ~~f Congress inJrrl) ,1870, the aunnal nuuulber of entries oncl the amount of fees received allclpaid ill to Che Trttas11l.y ciltriup the years since elapsed have been ar, lit1loxs :

&I,. ofYnt~irfl. k'e(3.s.lS70.. ......................................................... 5,60C1 $4,746 1;-18il.. ..................................... .; ................. 12,W? 10,187 1 : slS.2.......................................................... 14: 16.4 12,25:J I1873.. ......................................................... 15,332 13,404 ::(I1874........................................................... 16,263 13,5247-1S5.. ......................................................... 15,927 13,1511876.. ......................................................... 1J,8S 12,W . PII.........................................................e5i.. 15,75@ 33,076 11111875.. ......................................................... 1 5 , ; ~ 13,131 21lS79.. ......................................................... 15,PZi 14,6~9111

I) nr il ~g he ca1encl;lr year 1Si9, the copyright bu si ~~ es ss l ~ i b i t ~t1 1increilse of 2,337 eutries over t,hose of the preceding year, IS'iS, being :rmuch larger increase than iu ally for ~oer ear si me the registry of cop^ -rights mas at tached to the office of the Libl-arian. The fees paid into tllc.Treasury by the nndersigned on acrount of records of copyright, copicbhof 8nch records, and nsuignments of copyright, aniomltecl to the st1111 01'$14:C;S0.90 in 1Si9, as against $13,134.30 ill lSiS, slion-il~gll i~~creeaee11$1,555.40.

The aggregate elltries of col)y rigl~ t nWications of al l I i ind~111ri11yth e J - ~ ; I ~S79 \\-ere subtliviclcd into tlle f o l l o ~ ~ ~ i i ~ glasscs :

Print-. ....................................................................Dcsia..u-a~~dr : ~ \ v i u g ~ . ....................................................-Pni~ltil~g.;.................................................................

Tltre deposits of pnblicatioils of every deacriptioil diuring 1879 a1.c.su1111111t.d v uuder the follonri~~gends, shoail~grhat ncceasio~taha~cs


4/4

REPOBT OF THE LIBBARIAN OF CONGBE88. 5~ I . ~ . I Imade to the collections in the past twelre months under the lawor caopyright :....................................................................Lt ~~k f l . ................................................................'t~riodicttlsb111nic:d compositions.. ....................................................I 11.:1.11,:bticompositions. ................................ r...................LI 11 1,s nud chart0...........................................................IC~~jiravingsnd cl~romos..................................................I'l~t~togaphs.............................................................I'ri~~ts....................................................................................................................................)llaiPs..1 ' : ~ i tinge.................................................................

................................................................otal.Two copies of each publication protected being required t6 be depos-

I tcvl, the iiet additions to the collections of copyright materid a~re 5,381irl.t~icles, f which 6,565 Irere books, besides periodicals numbering 3,750.

The rariolls funds under control of the Joint Committee on the Libraryoxhibit balances unespended to the following aniounts, January 1,15SO:I4'11rldor the increase of t!~cLibrnq-..................................... $9,458 59k'ttnd for ornaluenting the Capitol with works of clrt...................... 3,1% 00k'lcnd for portrsita of Presidents of tlie United States.. ................... 1,134 50I.'llnd or pnrchasenud printing of unpublished l~istorical ocnmonts relating....o early French discoveries in the Northwest and on the Mississippi.. 5,964 04...............und for salaries in the Botanic Garden and greenhouses.. 4,738 00I*'llud or improri~~gotal~icGarden.. .................................... I , 3@2 041*'11ndor contingent evpouees of the Lib- ............................. 1,290 01

The prorision of space to contain an d to arrange the invaluable col-lect.ions of literature a ~ ~ drt confided to the imiiicdiate caw of theNational Legislature still remains the all-important burden of tlie Libra-~.iihn'sa~lunaleport. He will not here r e p a t any of the argliilients or:~ppealsn that behalf llrgecl in every form (luring the past eigl~t earsin the coni~l l~~~~ icat io~l shich he has had the honor to rnake to tlie com-mittee. The enorinonsly increased difficulties of adininistering the Li-I~rsryn its distressingly crowded condition, and of ansmerhg tlie callsof Congress ai d the reacliug public with t l ~ eequisite promptitude, jus-I fy the statenleiit that the provision of room cannot longer be postponedwitliont clirectly obstructiug the .business of Cougress in its res1)onsiblelabors. Into the reasons and t l ~ eifficulties which have postl)oiled allfi~riuerly~roposed lans of relief he will not enter. The ~nb je cts olrceinore earnestly colnllienrled to the attention of the c oi ~~u ~i tt ee ,n the cou-lident hope that they will be able to reach that snccmsf~~lonstuuma-tion so niuuh desired by all, but so long and SO 1111forft1~1atel:-lelayed.

A. R. SPOFFORD.Horn. D. M'. VOORHEES,Cl~nirjnalb j. Joi nt Congaittee e n the Library.

Documents

US Copyright Office: ar-1879