Naval History and Heritage Command

In view of the fact that a statement has recently been made that the library of the Navy Department is being neglected we have made particular inquiry as to the exact status of the work that has been done in recent years to build up the library and add to the already valuable collection of reference books there. The departmental libraries are intended to supply the needs of each department - the Department of Justice has a law library; the War department has a military library; the Interior department has a scientific and a law library; and the navy department has a large naval library, which includes for the greater part professional and technical books. Biographies and histories which pertain to naval officers and men and nautical affairs are collected in this library and furnish the basis of much of naval history. The present Secretary of the Navy has taken considerable interest in this important office of his Department, and has secured from Congress an appropriation of $2,000 for the purchase of professional and technical books. These were ordered on July 1, 1902, twenty-four American annuals and forty-six American periodicals. Shortly before the expiration of the year 1902 sixty-eight foreign periodicals and sixty-eight foreign annuals were added, making a total of over two hundred domestic and foreign annuls and periodicals. Since July, 1902 about two hundred domestic and foreign books have been ordered for the Navy Department library. Regret has been expressed in some quarters that the Navy library has not a collection of classical literature and high-grade fiction, but the size of the library rooms forbids an attempt to so greatly increase its volumes, and the wise policy of the Department has been to limits its library to professional and technical books, and to a few necessary reference books that eh Department absolutely needs for the transaction of public business.