CIHM Microfiche Series (IMonograplis) ICiMH Collection de microfiches (monographies) Canadian Instituta for Historical Microroproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductiont hittoriquas Technical and Bibliographic Notes / Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming are checited below. 0- Coloured co^'ers / Couverture de couleur □ Covers damaged / Couverture endommagte □ Covers restored and/or laminated / Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul6e I Cover title missing / Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps / Cartes g^raphiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black) / Encre de couleur (I.e. autre que bleue ou noire) □ Coloured plates and/or illustrations / Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur □ Bound with other material / Reli6 avec d'autres documents Only edition available / Seule Edition disponible Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin / 1^ reliure serrte peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long de la marge int^rieure. Blank leaves added during restorations may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming / Use peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6X6 filmtes. D D D L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a «t« possible de se procurer. Les dwells de cet exem- plaire qui sent peut-4tre unkjues du point de vue bibli- ographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modifk»tk>n dans la metho- ds normale de filmage sont indk^ute ci-dessous. I I Cotoured pages/ Pages de couleur I I Pages damaged / Pages endommag^es D Pages restored and/or laminated / Pages restaurtes et/ou pellteul^s Pages discotoured, stained or foxed / Pages ddcolortes, tachetdes ou piques \\y\ Pages detached / Pages d^tach^s \\y\ Showthrough/ Transparence r I Quality of print varies / D D D Oualitd inhale de I'impresston includes supplementary material / Comprend du materiel suppl6mentaire Pages wholly or partially obscured by enata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image / Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t4 film^es k nouveau de iagon k obtenir la meilleure image possible. Opposing pages with varying colouration or discolourations are filmed twice to ensure the best possible image / Les pages s'opposant ayant des colorations variables ou des decolorations sont filmtes deux fois afin d'obtenir la meilleure image possible. 0- Additional comments / Commentaires suppldmentaires: Pagination Is as follom: [313]-328. This Kwn is fllmsd «t ttw raduetion ratio ehaclisci bolow / Ca doeumsnt ast film* au taux do rMuction indiqu* ci-dassous. lOx 14x 18x 22x 26x 30x J tax Ita 20x a4x 28x 32x TIM eopy fUm«d h«r« hM bMn raprody««d ttiMikc to ttM gCMVotlty of : National Library of Canada Lasampiaira fiim« fut raproduit erica A la g«fl4roait* da: Bibliothiqua nationala du Canada Tha ima«aa appaaring hara wm tha baat quality poaaikia eonaidafine tha eondition and lagibilitv of tha eriflinal eopy and In kaaping with tha filmlne contract apadf icationa. Original eopiaa in printod paper eovara ara fllmad baginning with tha front eowar and anding on tha last paga with a printed or illuatratad leprae, alon. or tha back covar whan approprlata. All othar original eopiaa ara fllmad baginning on tha f lr»t paga with a printad or Illuatratad Impraa- •ion. and anding on tha last paga with a printad or illuatratad impraaaion. Tha laat racordad frama on aach microfiche •haU contain tha symbol — ^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol ▼ (moaning "END I. whichavar appiiaa. Maps, plataa. charts, ate., may ba filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to bonom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Los images suivantes ont *tA reproduitas avac la plus grand soin. compta tenu de la eondition at do la netteta de roKompiaire filma. et en eonformita avac lea eonditiona du contrat da fUmaga. Lee eaemplalrae eriglrwua dont la couverture an pepler est Imprimae sent fllmas en commencant per le premier plot et en terminant soit par la derniare page qui camporte una empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par la second plat, salon lo caa. Toua lea autrea aaemplaires originaua sent filmda en commencant par la pramiare page qui camporte un^ empreinte d'impreaaion ou d'iUuatration at en terminant par la damiare paga qui comporta une telle ampralnta. Un dee symbolea suivants apparaitra sur la damiare image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole -» signifie "A SUIVRE". le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, plonches. ubleaux. etc.. peuvent itre fllmas a dee taux de raduction diffarents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour *tre reproduit en un soul cllcha. il est filma a partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche a droite, et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre d'imeges ndcessaira. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthoda. 1 2 3 6 "KMOcon mouinoN rasr atun (ANSI and ISO TEST GHAUT No. 2) /APPLIED I M/ff?;F= 16SJ East Mom StrMt Roch«tt«r. New York UfiOo hca (716) 482 -0300- Phoi!. "^ C7'6) 2Ba- 5989 -Fox ■pipplppiiHf 7 RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OP HISTORICAL MATERIALS LAWRENCE J. BURPEE RApriiilotI from t]i« Annual Report of Ihn Amorit'aii Iliiitoriral Aiwociatioa for 1»14, ViJumn I, i>ut;>-ii 314 :'.28 ^ WABBmOTON ;V>A- RESTRICTIONS ON T J USE OF HISTORICAL MATERIALS BT LAWRENCE J. BURPEE Reprinted from the Annual Report of the American Historical Anodatioi for 1914, Volume I, pages 314-328 WASHINGTON ino RcSTRICnONIt ON THE U«B OF HISTORICAL MAT£KIAt8. Bjr Lawuncb J. BuBpn. At first sig^t it mi^t seem that the subject we have before us offered little opportunity f • profitable discuasion ; that there could be, at the most, but two points of view— th.tt of the cuntodian, put- ting preservation before use, and that of the student, putting use before preservation. If one were inclined to be flippan , the case might be stated as Man v. Manuscript. The more one considers the problem, however, the more angles it presents, and the mor« in- volved become the relations of custodian and student to the docu- ment, to each oti>er, and to the public. We are to discuss some of the phases of this many-sided question, and as the duty has been put upon me of opening the debate, I shall try to be as brief and judicial as the circumstances will permit. For our present purposes the definition of historical materials may be confined mainly to manuscript sources, though the question of restriction might also be applied to rare printed books. Our problem, then, is how and to what extent should manuscript material be made accessible to students? It will be seen at once that any consideration of the question, to be satisfactory, must embrace not only restrictions on, but also facilities for, historical research. Broadly speaking, each is complementary to the other. To get to the bottom of the matter, what is the primary object of archives ? The answer to the question depends, no doubt, a good deal upon circumstances. "Preservation of documents," says one au- thority,* " should be the first end to be attained." «« It must be borne in mind," says another,^ " that to supply historical sources to the investigator is not the principal function, although an important > CtaarlPB M. Andrews. Lesiioni of the Brtttah ArebiTea. in Americao Historical Aaaoetii- tloa. Abb. Sep., 1»0», 860. '^—ocm » Waldo O. Leiand, Amerleaa AreklTal Problems, Ibid., 84T. 314 I oownBvoi 09 BnraiioAL 815 OM, of ftrduT* depontoriM." Om krg* library' Uyt down tht principl* that ** th« manuieript division hu been astablishsd for pur- poMt of reference and rewarch;" and another* puta it thia way: "Manuaeripti and manuacript oollectiona ahoold be oonaider«d flnl an to preservation, second as to uae. Preeervation neceaurily pre- cedes use and largely determines and governs it, though it must be borne in mind that a manuscript withheld from consultation migu. almost as well be noDezistent.** In theory at least there is no very serious difference of pir. on as to the primary object of archives. In practice, one finds every conceivable variation from the practically total exclusion of the student to an almost reckless freedom of aooe« and circulation. Nevertheless, the extremes of policy are compara- tively rare, and there is an increasing tendency to find a mean that will meet all the legitimate needs of research workers wiUiout sacri- ficing the essential safeguarding of the documents. The following replies from a number of representative institutions in the United States and Canada bear out the above statement: Connoctlcnt State Library : We ahould encoorage the um of manuacrtpt material by all competent to uae It to adTantage for tbe public good. Maamichuaetta State Library: I think In tbia age of general knowledge and reaearch the greatest freedom should be given In tbe uae of historical materials In tbe posseaslon of an historical aociety or archives bureau. Pennsylvania State Library: My Invariable rule has been to furnish all the Information possible to each stuient making a request for original material. Iowa State Library : A hlstori'ml society or archives bureau, when supported by the State, should allow fullest liberty to all who have a serious purpose either to copy or t jtograph the msterlal In Its possesaion. I can aee no Justice In depriving any citizen of ttw State of opportunity to uae material collected by the btate at the taxpayers' expense. California State Library : Our plan in regard to historical material Is to permit the freest consultation commensurate with tlie safety and preservation of the naterlai. State Historical Society of Wisconsin : Our paat and present policy favora the broadest and freest possible use of our historical materials. Michigan Historical Commission: My experience leads to the firm belief that all archives should be made accessible to i y student or society either to copy or to photograph. South Dalcota Department of History : I have conceived tliat ox- missk>n Is to give the widest extension to the knowledge and use of ne materials of history, and that In consequence everything we have and every service In our power have been at all times placed at the use of the public •New York Pnbllc Ubrtry, BbIm of the HaniiMript INtMob. •J. C. FlUpatrick, Notck on tkt Car*. Catalogalng. Calendaring, and Arranging of Manuicrlpta (Library ot Congreaa). 1013, p. B. •u MMnaoAM ar. .UAL AilOOUTIOII. »t of AKklvH MMi HMory: TIM practlct km bM bMB to •Mow Um bmmI Htaral m off o«r mUm col. Itctlow, vlibw urlntatf or In nwnttacrtiit ■iMorlcal SodMjr of IVouDrlvinlo : lo m opinion nil tho ITnltod Stntcn. t jt, nnd Mm nrchlTM ■bouM to mndo acrwilMt to nil pmona eniagMl In gmaino htotorkwl namreii. HMorlcnl ■oclotiM nnd imbllc llbrnriM whleb raotlvo Itoto nid ahould niao com* uodor this cina. Bnrrnrd Unlrmit/: Whwi pniwr* hnrt bMonw hlntortcnl docwaonU I tollovo Umt n library or aoclrty lOtould pwmit Iho frooot nan of them to aarioiM-mlndod atudonta. Tboir uao aa blatorlnil aoorcaa abould not. It awna to mo. bo "onanad to Banbora of tho aodcty that owna tbon or to atndanto worklni la tbnt partlcvlnr »' nry. Tnio CnlToraltjr: It la njr policy aa librarian to rogard njraalf aa eoatodinn of tho mnnn- acrlpta and othor troaaufoa In my chargo for tho bonoflt of oualllM uaon. frlaeoton Unlroraltj: No rootrtctlon ahonld to placad on tto llborty of sao of mnnaaerlpta, aavn aoth aa prorldo for tto proper p r eaa r ration of tto manoaerlpt Itaolf. All M (hneaa in tbo wny of n>tierTlng thlnga ft>r IndlTldnala, ftor Inatltn- tlo- ao ttot ttoy may tore tto nciualTo or prima glory la contrary to tto aplrit fbr which inatltnUona aro fonndod nnd to tto oaaeneo of tto Man of acholarahlp. UBivaralty of Illlnola: Blatortcat material ahoald to opan ft>r oaa and copying ao loBg aa tto original la not damagod. «-■ ■■ »no Voronto Unlreralty: Our principle la to allow tto freeat poaaiblo uaa of htatoricnl material con- •latent with Ite aafegnardlng. McGill Unlreralty, Montreal: LlbrarleH. notletles. archlvca. etc.. ahoald regard tto book*, records and manuscripts which they possess In the light of a trust which they hold not for their own u'j or benefit, not alone for tto use or convenience of their own immediate conRtltnents. but for tto benefit of ail persons wto are qualified to use them with advantage to themselves or to the world a* large. On the ..ther hand, the Inntltutlons. being trustees, niuxt take all reasonable precautions against damage to or loss of the proo- erty they hold in trust. Queen's University. Kingston, Ontario: I feel very strongly that hlsorical societies and bureaus of archives should as freely as possi" ' i.ow other institutions to make copies of the materials In the..- possession. Tto materials exist for the use of historians, and the more widely they are made use of the better New York Public Library : I agree with Mr. J. C. Fltspotrick that "Manuscripts and manuscript col- !«rtions should be considered first as to preservation, second as to use " This Is the kernel of the whole matter, whether applied to manuscripts or rare and costly printed works. This principle carries with It respeC for to^lay. to-morrow, and generations yet to be. It does not deprive tto present-day Investigator of any legitimate use. and it also pww ves tto originals with a ploua regard for the rights of tto acholurs of the future. OOJirMUIMOB Of BmoUOAL lOOllTIM. 817 ■ AKmo PuMk UbfMT: Wt Ml*T« la th* wMm litarty ud teutvd* to ■totfrniti coiulitMt wttk tiM MfwunllBt of tiM aatarlMlt eonnittd. Ntwbwry Ubnurjr, Oblcafo: I Ml*v« that lo BMMral. hMortcal lortotlM aad areblvM baraaas liiottM bt moat fMMToga In iraDtIng pcnalMlon to other Inatitutiooa or to ladl- Tldaala to mako copiM of the matartal la tlwlr pooMmloo. Having gained aome light on tha ganaral practice aa to the oie of hiatorical inateriala in public inititutiona, let ua go a little mure into dftail. With a few exceptiona, the conoenaua of opinion ia that rvaeareh workera aliould have the freeat acceaa to and iim of hiatorical niBteriala conaiitent with their preaervation. The character of theae materiala, however, makea imperative eome reatrictiona in their ui . Principlea of acceaa and circulation that are juatifiable and praii worthy iti tho case of hooka may be more than questionable in th« uae of mnnuscripta A book destroyed or damaged m-y, aa a general rule, be replaced, ."he loaa of a manuscript, if no copy exists, ia irreparable. Let me itate, then, aome of the queetiona that suggest thcinselvef in connection with the general subject of restriction : To what extent ahould an institution possessing valuable histori- cal material allow other institutions or individuals to make copies? Should such material be loaned for uae in anothcT institution, either in the same city or farther afield? Is it justifiable to refuse access to do.'^umpnts in course of publica- tion, or whose publication has been dec ded upon, or which nmy be published by tha institution possessing the dw »ei.;js, or by some individual acting under ita authority? Should the use of public documents be refuses on or before a cer- tain date, or of private documents of a cp-fidential nature? What restrictions sht'uld be placed u. n the liberty of student! desiring to consult manuscrip: oi other ma^^rial? Should they be subjected to ut^ersight ir malting copies or tracings of material ? Should they be required to submit their notes to an at cnrliint ? Should their work be subjected to censorship or should thov be left to their own judgment as to the character eid extent of their extracts? What credentials should a reseach worker be required to submit? Should there be an age limit? Is the custodian entitled to know the purpose for which copies are made; is he justified in refusing permission if the proposed use seems trivial or undesirable; and, on the other hand, is he entitled to grant exclusive use of certain material? Should there be any limitation of the number of manuscripts or volumes used by a student at one time? 818 AMBUOAV HWTOBICAL ABSOOUnOH. Wlut houn should be avaiUble for naearch work? What facilities should be provided, research rooms, suiUble tables. Mcquate lifting, etc.! ^ What aids should be avaUable, calendars, indexes, classification, gnides, etc.? ' Should an archives bureau contain a coUection of books of refer- ence for the use of the research worker? What implements are permissible in the copying of manuscripts or rare books: Pencil, pen and ink, fountain pen, typewriter, or photostat? Should tracing be permitted, with or without supervisiwi? Should the institution be equipped with a photostat? Should one institution pennit another to make photostat or other copies of its material, or should it exchange copies of material? Taking these points in the order mentioned, it may be helpful to bring together a few notes based on the experience of representative men and mstitutions both in Europe and America. No attempt has been made to get the views of all the principal archivists and Ubra- nana of the two continents, but perhaps sufficient information is available to show the drift of opinion based on more or less varied experience. First as to cooperation with other institutions or individuals. The chief of the Manuscripts Division of the Library of Congress writes: Complete cooperation between manuscript depositories can only be accom- pllshed by complete confidence; and In order that they may serve the full measure of their usefulness and purpowj, they should do nnto other depositories as they would have other depositories do unto them. Unless manuscripts have been deposited In this library under restrictions by the donor, the library allows other InsUtutlons to take copies for their own use freely. As a concrete In- stance, however. It may be mentioned that when an Institution desired that several copies might be made of a valuable manuscript. In order that it might exchange some of them with other Institutions, the library felt constrained to decline to permit Its possessions to be converted into laerchantable material by another Institution. When copies are made for another Institution, no restric- tion Is placed upon their use by that other Institution. The Dominion Archivist at Ottawa states that it has been his policy from the beginning to cooperate with the Provincial Archives, and other similar institutions in Canada and elsewhere, by exchang- ing copies of manuscripts. His only objection is that hitherto the balance of trade has been very much against his own institution. A great deal has gone out, but very little has come in. Individuals are given every possible facility for research in the thoroughly equipped building at Ottawa. The State librarian of Massachusetts saysT We are always glad to have Individuals or Institutions make copies either by photostat or typewriter or in longhand of rare laws, and the same Is true of the manuscripts in the archives department I feel that all the material we oovnuKOB OF HI8I0BICAL Boomm. S19 poMoa at tout la of a public natnra, and that wa bave no right to rwtrlct Ita oae any raore than may be poatUvely neceaaary. TAe /oc« that U U pAoto- grvphed or eopled Hnply givti it larger pMMteily. Let me draw your attention particularly to this last point, which we will come back to later. The superintendent of the State His- torical Society of Wisconsin writes: May I ansgeat that hlatorical materiala pw^erly belong to aodety, rather than to the InstltuUon or the Indivldoal who may have a legal title to them Tto the extent that the public may properly claim a greater Intereat in the affalra Ot insUtuttona than of Indivlduala, it seema to me that the prtlcy of aeaUng hlatorical materiala against the acholarly world Is more reprehensible In the case of the former than the latter. Many of you are no doubt familiar with the very generous policy of cooperation carried out by this society under the direction of the late Dr. Thwaites. It is gratifying to know that his successor possesses the same broad ideals. The Historical Department of Iowa has adopted substantially the same policy as that of the Wis- consin Historical Society. The curator, referring to the accumula- titm of private papers, makes the following interesting suggestion : Aa this sort of material comes out of the repoaltories of buaineaa men. literary men, soldiera, politicians and othera. aome connected with other Oov- ernments and other States, and not connected with Iowa itaelf, I propose the eventual exchange of such materiala so that they will finally find a resUng place in the region to which they properly belong. Prof. C. W. Alvord of the University of Illinois, writes: The disasters that historical manuscripts have suffered by Are in recent years is a aufflcient excuae for rq>roduclng all important manuscripte as many times aa possible and scattering them all over the country. The librarian of Princeton University says: I believe that in the fullest manner consistent with the means of the library photostat copies of all Important manuscripts in any collection should be made by the library owning the manuscript, when requested by other Ubrarlee. and loaned to these libraries, the idea being to form a lending collection of facsimiles of one's own manuscripts. At all events, I believe that the having photostat copies of one's manuscripts made at the expenae of other libraries which will keep these copies for use should be encouraged as much as pos- sible aa a precaution against the destrucUon of the origlnala in any way The Vatican Library makes, I believe, this the only condition, 1. e., that we ahall keep the photographic copy that we have made open for free accesa of Bcholara. The associate director of the University of Chicago, in commend- ing the same principle of cooperation, says: I should like to see American libraries and inatltutlona show the same generosity in this respect aa noma of the foreign InaUtutions. notably tha German. 820 A MBM OAir BUTOBIOAL ASMOUnOH. The librarian of McOiU Uniydrrity layi: UaterUl ahould be lent u a rule not to Indlvidnala bat to other inatitutiona tor ow by Indlvldaala. The lender may reaaonably atlpulate that the material lent Bhall only be oaed within the walla at the borrowing inatltuUon. In the caae of very rare materlala a photoaUt or camwagraph reproduction mlcht reaaonably be aubatltuted tor the orlslnaL The only stipulation suggested in aUowing other institutions the privilege of obtaining facsimile or other copies of material for their own archives or for the use of students, is that copies from the copy should not be made without permission from the institution possess- ing the original, and that authors using or citing a copied document should mention the original institution. The librarian of the Uni- versity of Toronto writes: We send our material freely for the use of bona fide atudenU and scholara. but always to some responsible Institution, such as a library, under whose superintendence the reader consulu the book or manuscript. The rUk of losa In transit can not be ove' /.me, and In common with other libraries In the United States and Canada we take that risk. The chief of the division of American history in the New York Public Library writes: Closer cooperation between historical societies and other similar InsUtu- tions In photostat or transcript interchanges of material would remove some of the difflcultles that now stand In the way of historical research. I think It desirable that this question should be treated in as liberal a spirit as possible for the mutual benefit of all. The director of the library adds : We have recently agreed to lend some manuscripts pertaining to Massachu- setts to the Massachusetts Historical Society for photostat reproduction We shall probably borrow from them New York manuscripts for photostat repro- duction here. I hope this is merely a beginning of an exchange of courtesle. of this sort between libraries. Personally I believe, as Mr. Worthington O Ford does, that the photostat process has made the facsimile reproduction of manuscripts so cheap and easy that there Is no reason why such interchamrea as I have mentioned should not be made. That there is perhaps another side to the question has already been suggested by Mr. Gaillard Hunt, of the Library of Congress or perhaps it would be more exact to say that there is a possibility of an institution's generosity being imposed upon. The librarian of the John Crerar Library of Chicago enlarges upon the same point: Uans for use outside the library are in a very different position from access within it. Here I see many objections to a too generous policy. Thta mlaht result in a library being called upon unnecessarily and even unfairly One eastern university has complained that another gives a course In a special field or on a special era and then meets the needs of its students for matertal by wholesale borrowing from its neighbors. "«>i«a^uii oy I OOlTFBBEirOB OV HIBTOBIOAL S00IETIE8. 881 t i ; A few words will suiSce as to the experience in Europe. Prof. Wil- liam I. Hull, writing on the " Lessons of the Dutch Archives," * says: National and local, public and private co(q;ieratlon la Illustrated In many waya. For example, the national archlTtat haa recently aecuretl 318 marln* mapa in manuscript for the splendid collection of maps in the library of ttaa University of Leiden. He haa also supplied to Dutch .-olonists in Surinam and elsewhere copies of archives in which they were specially Intorwted: he haa tnedinte«l between various towns and brought about mutually advantageoua exchanges of documentary materials; his spedalisU have deciphered the moat difficult manuscripts, restored and mounted those most abused, and catalogued the most Important new discoveries In the possession of province or town. Dr. Amandus Johnson has this to say of the Swedish archives:* Records nre loaned to libraries and other archives all over the Kingdom. If an Investigator finds It more convenient to work In the Royal Library, or any other library, he can get the particular documento he needs for his investigation brought to his desk without charge from the Royal Archives or from any ilbrarf or archives in the country by applying to the officer at the head of the manu- script department in the InstituUon in which he worka. In this manner doco- ments are even sent to foreign countriea. The convenience of this syatem la evident. Dr. Johnson is at the same time evidently conscious that such lib- erality is not entirely without its disadvantages, for he adds some- what ruefully in a footnote: In the spring of 1909, when the writer was completing his Investigations in Sweden on the History of New Sweden, he desired to reexamine certain Ussellnz letters, but the letters were at Utrecht to be copied. The next point is as to restrictions on account of publication. Dr. John W. Jordan writes : Since I have become librarian of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania then la but one aet of papers withheld from the public— that is, the Wayne paper*— and this is because the society intends to print them. The librarian of Harvard University says : Perhaps the only restriction on the use of historical documents should be when the society intenda to print documents In extenso itself. Even then I see no objection to having copies or photographs made for other societies, with the provision that the papers should not be printed as a whole. Mr. M. M. Quaife, of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, writes: The one restriction which I am disposed to make upon the use, by atudents and other institutions, of our manuscripts is this: Our own society has a research and publication bureau, and In connection therewith has plans, of course, for future work. I am disposed to reserve, therefore, for publication by ourselves such manuscripts as we have formulated plans for bringing out in the near future. I think there is a clear and Just distinction between this •Amerieu HUtorieal Anoelation. Aaa. Bept, 1909, 86S. •n>ld., 8«T. 80000°— 16 ^21 822 AinnaoAv histobioal AssoounoH. rcMrratlon and the policy irarmMd bjr ■ohm inrtltutloiw of monopoliiini U»> torlcal material which vmj have come Into their poMMaion, bat which they are either unable or undealrona to pobllah. The State librarian of PennsylTania, Mr. T. L. Montgomery, writes: I ahonld think It perfectly right to withhold nwterlal that waa in the prooM of publication. Mr. Montgomery raises another point worth ocmsidering: I have had to deal [he aaya] with a great many hlatoriana, in the limited sense of the term, who delighted in holding material until some publication had come out, in order to prove how radically wrong the other was. Thia kind of parasite aometimes obtains a poaltlon In a public office. Death and inflection are accomplishing a great deal of good in this direction, but some of them seem to have lived on preservatives. Another point is suggested by Mr. F. K. W. Drury, of the library of the Univernty of Illinois, as to restriction tion. The victim relates that he visited a certain city on the At- lantic seaboard to consult a newly discovered historical journal in which he was deeply interested. He found it in a well-known COKFEnEMCB OF HISTORICAL SOCIETIES. 888 " J library. The custodian of the manuscript courteously consented to let him see it, had it Lrought to his own desk, pulled out the sliding shelf, placed the manuscript thereon, and permitted the expert to turn over the pages while he kept a watchful eye <» man and manusci.pt One more story, lest it be supposed that this sort of thing is pecu- liar to America. The Dominion axhivist was very anxiou« a few years ago to obtain copies of certain documents re 'i ting to the early history of Canada in the French department of foreign affairs. He went to Paris and after being politely referred to one official after another and wasting several days, finally gave up the attempt and returned home. Some weekb later a permit arrived in Ottawa con- veying the necessary permission to the archivist to make the copies. He joyfully sent it over to a trusted copyist in Paris. The latter todk it to the department of foreign affairs and presented it to the o£Scial in charge of the documents. " But, monsieur," said the latter, " this permit is in the name of the archivist. It is impossible that the documents should be copied by another." The question of restricting the uga of documents dated before a certain year is a difficult one, and one as to which there is a con- siderable difference of opinion. I*; involves, among other things, in the case of public documents the policy of governmental departments, and in the case of private documents restrictions imposed by the donor. Prof. Charles M. Andrews, writing of the British archives,* draws a lesson for American archivists from the restrictions placed for half a century by departmental authorities upon the Public Record Office. Records were turned over to the Record Office, but official red tape placed arbitrary limits upon their use by the public. " Such dates as 1759, 1779, 1780, etc., have in the past marked tha limit beyond which the searcher could not go, except by personal ap- plication to the individual department " In 1909, as the result of the recommendations of an interdepartmental committee, the restrictions were removed and the documents submitted to regulations framed by the custodians of the Public Record Office. Mr. Fitzpatrick, of the Library of Congress, emphasizes the importance of Government documents being transferred to the archive bureau only when they are officially dead. Cuotrol oyer such papers [he adds] is undesirable, for there can be no right nor claim of historical investigator, not legitimately overriden by adminis- trative need; and, where thia need continues to exist, its Interference would result in practically transforming the archive bureau into an adjunct of the department from which the files came.* ■American HUtorical AnoeUtion, Ano. Rep., Itoa, 8S0. ■Notes on the Care, etc •t Ifanuicrlp*'*. S. 824 AMUUCAH HUTOUOAL A8S00IATI0V. Ii it possible or dennibU to lix a uniform date for the tnnafer of OoTemment documents? European practice in this regard ii becoming more generous. It is said that the French ministry of foreign affairs permits the use of its archives to February, 1848, and the Archives Nationales communicate documents that are 60 years old. The Public Record Office in London has fixed the year 1840 as its limit In the Dominion archives at Ottawa documents are available down tb the year of confederation, 1867. Various other dates obtain in different countries, depending upon historical and other considerations. Of course, in near'y all en? os serious students with suitable credentials can obtain access to documents of a later date if they possess the necessary patience and perseverence to press the matter through the proper channels. As to a ibced date, one finds a considerable difference of opinion even among competent authorities. Mr. Leiand, for instance, says^ that— while a chronological ilend line Is convenient, especially for the archivist. It maj be questluneO If It Is not better to decide each case npon Ita own merits. It ia clear that certain kinds of material can safely be communicated to within very recent times. Why, then, should they be withheld because other material can not l>e communlcatet!? Prof. W. L. Grant, of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, sug- gests the adoption of a definite date of, say, 75 years from the present, documents of later date to be available under suitable restrictions. Prof. C. R. Fish, speaking of the Italian archives,* brings up another point. He urges the desirability of a uniform date being agreed upon for the transfer of documents from the various departments to the archive authorities. The question of subjecting investigators to oversight, requiring them to submit their notes to an attendant, etc., is one that is viewed from widely different angles by archivists. Mr. Fitzpatrick, who voices no doubt the p »licy of the Library of Congress, says: • Consultation of manuscripts should be allowed only In the presence and under the constant observation of the archivist or his assistants. He tak s the view also that in the case of confidential documents subject to restrictions the archivist must see the notes or copies made therefrom by the investigator; that application for use of a docu- ment fihould be made in writing; and that the application should state the purpose of the investigation. On the other hand. Prof. W. R. Shepard, writing of the Spanish archives,* says: But the greatest boon of all to the worker In the Spanish archives Is the total absence of censorship. Either a manuscript is supplied along with an absolute •American Htitorical AgBoclatton, Ana. Bap., ItM, S47. • Ibid., 8S5. ■Notes OB tko Car*, etc., of lUauicrtpta, 6. < American BUtortcal AMoeiaUoa, Abb. B^., IMt. 8SS. oovFUBiroB Of HnroBiOAL •oomms. SSft rliht of eopytng or of pbotograpbiag Itt eootmta, or It la ■Impty withheld from tho ontwt NoTor la tho vezatloua ozperlanco nadtrgono of havlni aome choico puaago blm-paDcUad and the labor of the eopylat azpwded In Tain becaoae of aoma petty regulation devoid of aenaa or reaaon. The viewa and practice of a number of repreientative archivisto and Ubrariana on this continent may be briefly lununarized: Mr. B. R. Harlan, of the UUtorical Department of Iowa : liking reaaonable care that each applicant la one worthy of confldenca, bo reatrlctlona are placed upon hla use of the materlala ao long aa they are not removed from the room In which they are examined. Mr. Hanaon, of the library of the Unlveralty of Chicago : I haTe aeen ao much carelcaaneaa and Ignorance of tbe aimpleat aaft«uarda, eren on the part of prominent profeoaora, that I am convinced of the neceaalty of atrlct aapervlalon ; at any rate. In the uac of original mano* acrlpta. Mr. Langton, library of the Unlveralty of Toronto: If the reader or consulter Uvea In Toronto, we require him to nao our material In the Ubrary building, and. In the caae of particularly valuable material. In one of the rooma occupied by the eUff. ao Uiat he may be under obaervatlon. The New York State Ubrary : Placea no reatrtctiona upon the liberty of atndento consnltlng manuscrlpta except that nnrraaarj for the proper preaervation and guarding of auch manuacrlpta, * Connecticut State Library: We have insisted that the manuacripta be used In the immediate presence § of aaalatanti. Mr. .Belden, of the Maaaachusetta State Library : The only restriction la that the volumea or manuscrlpta should be used under proper aupervlslon by one of the members of the library staff, and that In caae the volume or manuacrlpt la brittle or torn because of age that the library aasistant should handle the same. Mr. Carlton, of the Newberry Library : Manuscrlpta and other rare material ahould be consulted and used only under the direct supervision of the regular custodian of the room or department, who la, or should be, an expert. Dr. Owen, of the Department of Archives and History of Alabama : The State archives are open to the public without restriction other than their use in conformity to the usual office regulaUons aa to examination In the presence of an attendant, etc. Mr. Robinson, of the Department of History of South Dakota : No restriction whatever has been placed upon the use of our material by . students, except that ordinary prudence which protecto rare matter T from Injury or loss. £ Mr. Brlgham, of the Iowa State Library : I My reluctant Judgment, drawn from experience with students, is that one cannot aafely turn them loose among books or papers of value, for I have known not a few who seem to be lacking In conscientiousness In the matto' of autograph-collecting or print-collecting who apparently are otherwiae boneat It would seem to me beat to supervise a atudent'a namlnatlon of papers and make a note of papwa turned over to him. AimiOAjr HItI0U04L AMoounov. Dr. O. B. Locke, of tbo Toronto FiibUe Library : I sbould certainly put rwtrtctioiH npon tlM liberty of atudeota eonaultliic manuacrlitta. liy experience baa led ma to believe tbat about one In aeren of aacb InrebUgatora really knowa a little about tackllni aucb a Job aa a collection of manuacrlpta. The reat wear out tbe material and gain nothing. A few words aa to credentials, age limit, hours for work, imple- ments, and other facilities. The rule as to credentials of the New York Public Library, manuscript division, is as follows: Persona dealrlng a card of admlialon to the manuacript division should make a written an>llcatlon to tbe Director of the library, specifying name, address, profcaalon, or occupation, and tbe purpoee for which admlaalon Is desired. Such application should be made. If pMalble, at least two daja In advance, and muat be accompanied by a written recommendation from aome person of known ponltlon. In the British Museum an applicant must be vouched for by a property holder. The Library of Congress requires a written appli- cation, and favors, though it does not apparently demand, a letter of introduction. Yale University and i^<.v, eral other institutions re- quire identification. The Dominion Artiiives and many other simi- lar bodies demand nothing in the way of credentials. In the Eu- ropean archives an introduction is generally necessary; if a for- eigner, from the diplomatic representative of his country. As to an age limit, the rules of the manuscript division of the New York Public Library provide that "no person under 18 yean of nge will be admitted to the manuscript research room." In most institutions the matter is left to the judgment of the custodian. The general rule as to hours for research work seems to be that students have access to material whenever the institution is open to the public. In the Dominion Archives a research worker may ob- tain access to his material after the regular hours. On the other hand, the Newberry Library closes its manuscript and rare book department at 6 p. m., the librarian taking tbe view that such valuable material should not be consulted except under the super- vision of experts. The use of pen and ink in copying manuscripts has generally been nought objectionable. Mr. Fitzpatrick, speaking of the proper use of such material,^ says : It must not be touched with either pen or pencil point, and copying should be with pencil if possible, as the open, dripping inlcwell is a constant menace to tbe document. The fountain pen la only less objectionable. With some well- meaning but awkward individuals, however, the pencil for copying or making notes is all that can safely be permitted. The rule of the New York Public Library is that, excepi in very special cases, pencils must be used in copying or taking notes. ■ Notes on the Cue, etc., of Hanntcrlpts, 6. ooxrsuiroB or uutobical ■oomiM. 827 1 3 I i In the Swediah archivM than it no reitriction in the um of ink, the only rule being thet the itudent must not rait his notes on tlie documenti while making ezoerpts. Thia brings lu down to the queiticm of the photostat A good deal has already been said aa to the manifest advantagea of cooperation in the exchange of copiea of manuscripts by archive bureaus and librariea. A word or two may be added as to the value of the photostat in this connecti(«, and for other purposea. The photostat supplies an unqueaticmable duplicate of the original manuscript, infinitely preferable to the work of even thf most painstaking copyist. Think for a moment what the world haa lost in the destruction of great collections of manuscripts, even in modem times,' and how incalculably richer we would have been had photo- graphic oc^ies of these documents been supplied to other insti- tutions. Mr. Paltsits, speaking of the ** Tragedies in New York's Public Records," * says : The lost record* give risa to aartoua raflectlona In as. There ate eaaea la which we most depend wholly upon aoma printed or contemporary or Iat« transcript, the Kccnracy of which c«n no loofar be aacertainecl with corUinty, bejaoaa the original la either loat, mntUatad, or decayed from neglect. Too often the key of truth haa periahed, leaving tia only the nncwtaln premiaas that are afforded by Incompleteneaa. Cases will occur to each one of us, within oar own experience, of incomplete stories, missing links in a chain of historical facts, due to the loss of one or more indispensable documents. How we would have blessed the man, or his memory, who could have been far- sighted enough to deposit authentic copies of these manuscripts in some other institution before his own went up in smoke. Nor, finally, is the value of the photostat confined to its use in providing an absolutely correct and trustworthy copy of original manuscripts. As Mr. Leland points out in his article on the ''Appli- cation of Photography to Archive and Hintorical Work"* It is alao of service in the reatoratlon of partially destroyed documenta or when it is desired to aacertaln the original wording of docnmenta that hava been modified by wasnres. The artificial lens Is so moch more powerful than that of the eye, and the photographic plate Is to such a degree more senslttvo than the retina, that much that Is invisible, or at best quite illegible to the vision even when aided by a glass, la easily made out In the photographic copy. The photostat furnishes alao the means of preserving facsimiles of documents that have begun to disintegrate. > Sm CbroBolotlcal Sketch of the DeetrnetloB of Libraries by Fire la AaelMit aa4 Meden Times, In Report of Library Aeaociatton of the United Kingdom, 1879, 140-154 ; and article tqr B. B. Poole on the isme snbjeet In Beport of U. 8. Oomnlaslooer of Mneatiaa. 1892-«S, pt 8. 724-720. * AaMricaa HUtorteal AMocUthm, Asm. Bap., 1909, 8Tt. • Aaericaa HIatorieal AaMcUtten, Aaa. Bap., 190S, I, 1S4. 828 AMKUCAW BMTOUOAL AMOCUTIOIT. One word more, m the preacher saith, ftnd I huve done. Mr. HMuon, of the library of the University of Chicago, contributea the intereating auggeation that, aa all atudenta do not fully realize the importance oi preaerving original documenta or appreciate their duty to coming generationa, it might be a oafe rule to place before them photostat copiea inatead of the originals, at any rate in the eaae of peculiarly valuable manuscripts. " I rather think," he adds, "that we may have to come to this more and more, not only in the use of manuacripta by studenta but in their exhibition or display."