GLEETT - University of Washington

institutions in U cities. (Arding to my analysis of: Smithsonian
Misceflanecus Onilection. CATAIJE OF UBIlaiTIcS OF S0CIEIES AND
PI0DIL IGnG w r1rcvi:AN INsTruyrI,
JANUARY 1, 1866. tEPC6fl'7) IN E LIARY OF FSS. Washington:
Smithsonian Institution, 1866, p. 20-38.). One might recall that
thirty-fcor years later, In 1900, the Library had only 569 other Russian
works in total The SmithsoniaWtlbrary of tvjress agreement of
transfer lx1ided a stipulation that this material be available to the
p.iblic. This was the first formal statement of public acoess to the
Library of Cyrsse aed the first step tard nialdnj it a national library.
(Maarr, p.114.). The Smithsonian itinued its International exthanges in
the aciennes ani the Library initiated its n international exctsnge
in other fields. The Smithsonian Deposit remained a separate unit
of the Library, anriunting to one million volumes in 1946 (mid., p. 116.).
There is no airate means of determining the Russian share of the
deposit in 1946, bit 30,000-50,000 volun wc*21d be a oDnservative
estimate.
The Report for 1905 mentions a shissnt of 241 books aed panplets
frcza the flçerial Free Ecceuuic Society of St. Petersborg, (ARts, 1905, p.
9.). In the next year, 1906, the Library procored the cornerstone of its
Russian, ani for that matter Slavic, collecti - the library of the
nerthant Genedii YtxIin of Ermsnoyarsk. This great private library has been
desoribed meny t1 ard I am sure yco are all familiar with it, bet I will
give a few details pertinent to the thes of this paper It ccsprised
80,000 volimes, 68,000 of whiub ware in Russian, aid the remaining
12,000 In other Slavic or other European laoguages. Its scope was broad in
subject arx time of publication, thcltdlng rl.merons 18th century works,
aid 1cn rme of privately published aid gwernesnt serials. Babine's
desoriptim of it in 1905 (AlexIs V. Habine, UDIN LtARY.
)PASNDIA1X (FS1Ti SIRXA). Washington, D.C.: (Press of Jtdd aid
Dsbeiler), 1905. 40 p.) owInced Librarian Puthen of its value aid drew
Theedore Ruosevelt's octenent that the acqilsition of this collection "will
give the Library of Cgreas preeminence in this partionlar field, not only
in the United States, bit as far as I knm in the world generally outside of
Rusaiat aid this in a field not yet develcped at all in America." (Jthn I.
Cole, PtR FS AND fltE NATIC1. A OLICAL BIS'ItRY OF E
IARY OF CXU1S. Washington: Library of Chngress, 1979. p. 79).
Alexli Babine began processing the collection after its arrival in 1907 In a
Slavic Section that was formed in the Catalcg aid Shelf Department
(Mearns, isplisi, p. 185.) to cope with the collection. After Babine left
the Library In 1910 to return to Russia, Anna Evarts continued the
processing, aid ?.urielio Palmieri of Harvard University was engaged In
1916 aid 1917 to assist with the Russian literature part of the collection.
(ARIC, 1916, p. 10; ARIC, 1917, p. 9) In 1926, N.R. P.adionotf aid George
Novossjltzeff were layed to cxa*.Inue the processing of this collection.
(ARIC, 1926, p. 155) . The worth of the collection was stated in the Annual
Report for 1919: "Dining the last twO years erding Jme 30 (1919), the
tethnical work In the rlin Collection has progressed so far that the real
value of the collection has br,e arcarent ard the collection is nct
available to the readers aid especially to the researub stuients of the
Library." (ARIC, 1919, p. 70.) It is noted that many valuable aid rare
works were discovered aid that these were placed in a special enclosure.
The opening of this collection to the public aid to subolars elicited this
omment fran Dr. Speak, "It has been a toucidng sight to see with what
weeder aid eiotion Russian visitors, especially old-time ilseigrants
fran bacicwocda places, flid in the collection the books wtith they had
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