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Rymer, Thomas. Fœdera, conventiones, litteræ, et cujuscunque generis acta publica inter reges Angliae et alios quosvis imperatores, reges, pontifices, princeps, vel communitates A. D. 1066. Hage, 1816-1869, 7v.

Wilkins, David. Concilia magnæ Britanniæ et Hiberniæ, a synodo Verolamiensi A. D. 446, ad Londinensem A. D. 1717. London, 1737, 4v.

The most important files of periodicals and newspapers received were the following:

Charleston, S. C., City Gazette, 1822-1829. 13v.

Charleston, S. C., Courier, 1839-1869. 37v.

Deutsche Pionier, Cincinnati, 1869-1886. 18v.

Federal Republican and Baltimore Telegraph, 1821-1822. 2v.

Godey's Lady's Book, Philadelphia, 1836-1851. 14v.

Independent Chronicle, Boston, 1802-1812. 6v.
Massachusetts Spy, Worcester, 1784-1897. 33v.

Scottish Geographical Magazine Edinburgh, 1885-1901. 15v.
Society of Arts Journal, London, 1854-1892. 40v.

The Library

Legislative Reference Library

The legislative reference library, in the capitol, conducted by the Wisconsin Free Library Commission in co-operation with this society, proved eminently successful during the last session of the legislature. Under the skillful management of its director, Dr. Charles McCarthy, it ministered to the needs of a majority of the members, to whom its practical usefulness was more than ever apparent. The legislature voluntarily increased the annual appropriation to that department, and placed it upon a sound financial footing. It is its policy to acquire the leading works of reference along lines particularly useful to the legislature and state officials in the conduct of their duties; and especially recent public documents from the most important American states and foreign countries. As these documents cease, by lapse of time, to be of immediate interest to the officials concerned, and are valuable only for general study, they are turned over to the library of our society. In this manner our own collection, already one of the largest in the United States, has within the year received valuable accessions.

Catalogue Department

The work of re-classifying and re-cataloguing the library upon the most approved modern plan, which has been under way for several years past, has made satisfactory progress within the year. All important classes of books have now been completed. The task of rearranging the pamphlets has presented many perplexities, and is at best a slow undertaking; it is probable that this division of the work will continue through another two years.

During the year we have materially increased our patronage of the Library of Congress catalogue cards. Co-operation in cataloguing has long been deemed one of the most important desiderata in the library world, for this branch of our work is one of the most costly features of administration. The printing of cards by the Library of Congress, and their sale to librarians at a price but slightly above the bare cost of printing and stock, has been a great boon to American libraries; for this method not only effects a very considerable saving in time and money, but in some respects the Library of Congress cards present a better appearance, are more legible, and furnish more information than the ordinary type-written card. In our case, this saving has not taken the form of a reduction in staff, for the reason that as the library grows there is a constantly increasing demand upon this department; and it is only along certain lines and generally only in the new books, that Library of Congress cards are available. Pamphlets and the old publications still require local treatment, and of these we are receiving an ever-increasing number. The best that we can do, therefore, by the new economy, is to prevent the otherwise inevitable growth of our cataloguing staff.

Crowded for Space

We called attention, a year ago, to the crowded condition of the library building. The congestion is of course correspondingly greater at the present time. Owing to the enormous but highly necessary demands upon the legislature last winter, for

the state university, the proposed new capitol, and other state interests, legislative friends of the society deemed it unwise even to ask for the much-needed northwest wing. Thus the prospect for relief was postponed for another biennial term; but certainly at the next legislative session it will become imperative to bring the matter to the attention of the legislature, regardless of what other claimants may demand.

Not only is our own library growth increasing relatively year by year, but our neighbor, the library of the University of Wisconsin, is under its present skillful administration making progress by leaps and bounds. The needs of that library have at last been generously recognized by the legislature; and long before it will be possible for a new wing to be constructed, the question of space for books will become a very serious one to both of our institutions. During the past summer practically all the remaining available space in the basement was fitted with temporary shelving, and these shelves are to-day packed.

It is probable that the proposed northwest wing would furnish relief for some ten years. At the conclusion of that period, we shall again be confronted by the question of space. Whether further extension should take the form of a transverse wing abutting on Park street, as originally planned by our architects, or of a separate and more cheaply constructed, but fireproof, building for newspaper files and documents, is a question for the future. It is, however, worth even our present consideration whether it would not be wise, in that comparatively near future, separately to house those important but fast-growing and somewhat unwieldy departments. They are of a character enabling them readily to be segregated from the remainder of the library. Those who use them are chiefly persons who desire to work while seated among the volumes themselves, or in convenient studies near by, and care little in this connection for a costly reading room. It seems probable that, after the construction of the immediately-essential northwest wing, future growth for the most bulky collections will be along the lines we have indicated a safe, well-lighted structure, with the

greatest possible storage capacity and every modern facility for research, but with architectural embellishment reduced to the minimum requirement.

Binding

There have been bound during the year a total of 2,923 volumes, classified as follows:

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We regret being obliged to report that, owing to the unfortunate congestion in the state printing office, no considerable progress has been made within the year in the matter of the publication of the Wisconsin Historical Collections. Volume iii of the reprints has issued from the press; but volume iv is still in galleys, with small immediate prospect of the book advancing beyond that stage. Upon the new volume (xvii), there has been little done since our last report; galley proofs have all been read, and forms have been revised for about one-half the book-but in this condition it has been dormant for at least six months past. Copy for volume xviii is under way in the secretary's office, and we can but express the hope that it may appear from the press before our next annual report.

Bulletins of Information

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Four bulletins have been published during the year-No 22, "Reports of Auxiliary Societies for 1904;" No. 23, "Periodicals and Newspapers Currently Received at the Library; No. 24, "Conference of State and Local Historical Societies; The Work of American Historical Societies; The Authenticity of Carver's Travels; " No. 25, "The Gathering of Local His

tory Material by Public Libraries." rates from the Proceedings for 1904;

Nos. 22 and 23 were sepa-
No. 25 is a revised reprint

of No. 7, the supply of which had become exhausted. The large popular demand for our bulletins, from all portions of the country, is a pleasing evidence that the work of the society is appreciated.

Co-operative Report on Manuscript Collections

One of the most serious needs of the library is a calendar of its large manuscript collection. Partial progress has been made upon a calendar of the Draper Manuscripts (400 volumes); but this work was suspended during the past year, owing to lack of funds. The income of the Draper fund has at last become available for this purpose. although the fund is still too meagre adequately to meet the situation. The present $10,000 should be increased to at least $30,000 in order to carry forward the work in a creditable manner. In fact, the Draper

fund should be increased, or some similar endowment obtained, so as to yield an income capable of properly maintaining the entire map and manuscript department. This would necessitate the continuous employment of an expert in the care and calendaring of American historical manuscripts, to be assisted by a competent cataloguer who would also be available for the general custody of the room.

The use of the department is not only rapidly increasing locally because of the growth of graduate study in the state university; but the reputation of our collection, particularly of the Draper manuscripts, is now so widespread that almost every mail brings one or more inquiries concerning it, from all parts of the country, and the library is frequently visited by scholars from without the state, engaged in historical research, who are chiefly attracted by these priceless archives.

In advance of the publication of a detailed calendar- a work that will involve many years of preparation, and at best must proceed slowly-it has seemed advisable to publish a careful summarized description of our manuscript collection. This of

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