APPENDIX 8. REPORT ON THE INTERNATIONAL CATALOGUE OF SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the operations of the United States Bureau of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1921: All volumes of the fourteenth annual issue have been published, completing the catalogue through the year 1914. Financial conditions, brought about by the war and the excessive advance in the cost of publication, have since made it necessary to temporarily suspend printing the catalogue. Much of the material for 1915 and subsequent years is in the hands of the London central bureau ready for publication as soon as financial support is assured and publication costs are more nearly normal. The work of this bureau during the year has consisted in collecting data from periodicals regularly publishing scientific papers, of which there are about 550 in the United States. In addition to these there are over 400 occasionally containing scientific matter. Book notices, reviews, and publishers' lists and the publications received through exchange by the Smithsonian Institution are also systematically used in order to make sure that no paper coming within the scope of the catalogue is overlooked. Reference slips are prepared for each paper thus collected, and the contents classified to conform to the International Catalogue subject schedule. Practically all of the classification is done by specialists, and much difficulty is experienced in obtaining suitable aid for this part of the work, owing to the very limited funds available. This lack of funds has always seriously interfered with the work of the bureau; but as much of the data through the year 1920 have been classified and are now held pending the resumption of publication, it is hoped that by the time it is called for by the central bureau most of the index cards will be ready, and that when the published volumes have been brought up to date a larger annual appropriation will be granted, so that all current publications may be immediately dealt with. When it is considered that between 25,000 and 30,000 reference cards have annually been furnished by this bureau, some idea of the amount of expert and clerical labor involved is apparent. As a résumé of the history of the enterprise was published in the report of this bureau for the last fiscal year, it is unnecessary to again repeat it excepting to state that financial difficulties have not been relieved, although, owing to assurances made by influential delegates to a conference held under the auspices of the Royal Society in London during September, 1920, it appears that if certain conditions can be met financial support may be looked for from the United States. This conference, called by the Royal Society to consider the future of the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, was held in London September 28 and 29, 1920. The following delegates attended, representing the countries named: Denmark, Prof. M. Knudsen; France, M. A. Lacroix; Holland, Dr. G. van Rijnberk; Japan, Dr. Hantaro Nagaoka; Norway, Mr. Rolf Laache; Sweden, Baron Alströmer; Switzerland, Dr. Hermann Escher, Dr. Marcel Godet, Dr. H. Field; United States, Dr. Robert M. Yerkes (National Research Council), Dr. L. E. Dickson (National Academy of Sciences), Mr. L. C. Gunnell (Smithsonian Institution); India, Sir H. H. Hayden, F. R. S.; New Zealand, Prof. A. Denby, F. R. S.; Victoria, Prof. E. W. Skeats; South Africa, Sir Thomas Muir, F. R. S.; West Australia, Mr. C. B. Rushton. Representing the Royal Society: Sir Joseph Thompson, president R. S.; Sir David Prain, treasurer R. S.; Mr. J. H. Jeans, secretary R. S.; Prof. H. E. Armstrong, F. R. S.; Dr. F. A. Bather, F. R. S.; Dr. P. C. Mitchell, F. R. S.; Sir Arthur Schuster, F. R. S. There were also present Dr. S. I. Franz (United States of America), representing the Rockefeller Foundation, and Sir F. G. Ogilvie and Mr. L. S. Lloyd (Great Britain). Two Italian delegates, Prof. Raffaello Nasini and Comm. Ing. Ernesto Mancini, were delayed on the journey and did not arrive until the end of the conference. These two distinguished Italian representatives were very earnest in their desire to see the catalogue continued, and both agreed with the decisions of the other delegates. After two days taken up in considering the financial situation as presented by the Royal Society, and discussion of the general affairs of the enterprise, the following resolutions were agreed on unanimously: 1. That the catalogue should be temporarily continued in its present form for the year 1915 and possibly also as a single issue for the period 1916-1920, provided adequate financial support can be obtained. That at the earliest possible date opportunity be taken to reconsider the whole character of the subsequent work of organization. That one of the first questions to be considered be the possibility of converting the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature into a cumulative subject and authors' index, the volumes of which shall be published at intervals of 3, 5, or 10 years, in accordance with the status and needs of their respective sciences; and that the materials shall be obtained so far as practicable in cooperation with the abstracting journals of the world and other agencies affording rapid information, including regional bureaus. It was also agreed unanimously 2. That, inasmuch as the Royal Society is no longer able to accept financial responsibility for the catalogue, it is essential that adequate financial support, including working capital, be provided. Further, the opinion was expressed by the delegates generally (other than those representing the Royal Society) that the Royal Society, being relieved of financial responsibility, should otherwise act as heretofore. Finally the conference resolved 3. That a committee be appointed to draw up definite proposals in accordance with the above resolutions and that the report of the committee be forwarded to the council of the Royal Society. 4. That the council of the Royal Society be requested to take such steps with regard to the recommendations of this committee as they think fit. The committee appointed under the resolution 3 made the following recommendations, subject to adequate financial provision being assured: (a) That the central bureau be instructed to proceed with publication of the 1915 issue. (b) That the central bureau be further instructed to collect material for the period 1916-1920 with a view to the early publication of the issue 1916-1920. The committee further recommended (c) That the council of the Royal Society request the executive committee of the International Council of the Catalogue to proceed to collect information as to the various issues raised in the foregoing resolutions of the conference and to report at as early a date as possible. The fourteenth issue was not completed at the time of the meeting. Below is a table showing the receipts and expenditures of the London central bureau on account of the first 13 issues: The war began before the eleventh issue was completed, so that the falling off in receipts during the last three years may be attributed to loss of subscriptions from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, and Belgium. 2 The increased expenditures on the thirteenth issue arises from that issue having taken two years instead of one to complete. From this table it will be seen that on the completion of the tenth issue, before war conditions interfered, receipts and expenditures practically balanced, and it is apparent that had not these unex pected conditions arisen the whole enterprise would have been selfsustaining. Before war began many changes were contemplated to improve the service rendered by the catalogue and bring it more nearly to the high standard set by the original brilliantly conceived plan which so many of the world's leading men of science had taken part in formulating and which was referred to in some detail in the last annual report of this bureau. There is and has been no question of the need and value of an International Catalogue of Scientific Literature, and it is the opinion of almost everyone interested in such matters that no better plan has ever been presented to accomplish the ends sought. Any new enterprise would lack the greatest present asset of the catalogue, which is the official support of most of the civilized nations, and it is with this support practically assured for the future that the catalogue will start in its endeavor to gain the financial assistance necessary to compensate for losses caused by the late war. New agencies, such as abstract journals representing all branches of science, are to be undertaken by other organizations, and it is through cooperation with these that the catalogue is to be produced in the future, thus meeting all requirements of scientific workers as well as those of reference libraries and of those engaged in general investigation. From the attitude of the foreign delegates at the conference it is apparent that there exists no lack of interest or desire to continue the work, but all of these countries are now under unprecedented financial strain, which is greatly increased by abnormal rates of exchange, so for the present, at least, their aid must be less than it would be during normal times. There is in this country a growing interest in supplying the needs of scientific workers, and plans are under way to publish abstract journals in all branches of science not already represented. These plans were brought to the notice of the conference by the American delegates, representing the National Academy of Sciences, the National Research Council, and by a representative of the Rockefeller Foundation, who was present. From statements there made it appears that the money needed to establish these enterprises is available and the resolutions of the conference took into account cooperation with these new organizations for the common benefit of the publishing bodies and of scientific investigators. Very respectfully, yours, Dr. CHARLES D. WALCOTT, LEONARD C. GUNNELL, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. APPENDIX 9. REPORT ON THE LIBRARY. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following report on the activities of the library of the Smithsonsian Institution for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1921: The number of packages received was 27,327, an increase over the preceding year of 3,577. Of these 25,156 were received by mail and 2,171 through the International Exchange Service. Many of the packages received through the international exchanges, it might be mentioned, were exceptionally large, consisting of publications issued during the years 1914 to 1920, when it was not possible to send them on account of the war. SMITHSONIAN MAIN LIBRARY. In order that material received for the Smithsonian Library may be made available to the public at the earliest possible moment, publications have been transmitted daily, as in years past, to the Smithsonian deposit in the Library of Congress. The number of publications so transmitted was 6,250, composed of 4,910 complete volumes, 607 parts of volumes, 721 pamphlets, and 12 charts. The accession numbers extended from 534,619 to 537,229. Four thousand four hundred and sixty-four foreign government documents, presented to the Smithsonian Institution were transferred to the Library of Congress in accordance with the established practice. Material from abroad has been steadily coming in, and the receipts for the year have been much larger than was anticipated. The number of authors' reprints and theses from German universities and institutes of technology has been exceptionally large, covering the years 1914 to 1920. These were received from the universities of Berlin, Breslau, Frankfurt-am-Main, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, Hallean-der Saale, Heidelberg, Kiel, Leipzig, Marburg, Zürich, Dorpat, Helsingfors, Lund, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Delft, Ghent, Leiden, and Utrecht; and from the institutes of technology at Berlin, Braunschweig, Stockholm, Utrecht, and Zürich. Cataloguing. As will be seen by comparison, the cataloguing accomplished has been more than double that of last year. |