In addition to these, the Office received from the Gov Office 172,799 copies of the reports and circulars of in for its use.

Continuing a practice established under my predec assigned to this Burean have two-thirds of the wate dered necessary by its separate quarters, since the Dep only one of the three watchmen between whom the are divided. When the very low rate at which these are paid is taken into account, I think that this arra more of them than corresponding employés in other o to do.

THE DIVISION OF THE LIBRARY AND M

The library of this Office contains one of the most cal collections in the ountry. The card catalogue contents of this colle on available, and, in consec is growing more an ore useful every year. It known to educationis.s f every grade, and it has the year by many persons engaged in the investigat subjects. Inquiries upon these subjects are frequen spondents, not only in the United States, but in for information which is nowhere else so readily obtaine these inquiries, over five hundred cards giving refer tors on various subjects have been prepared. Some the result of much careful study, coupled with elabo

The library now contains over twenty-one thou eighty thousand pamphlets, besides many thousand are used for exchange or distribution. Of these d thousand have been disposed of during the year. So for books needed in the library, but the greater par tributed among school and college libraries in v country.

During the year two thousand volumes and twe phlets have been added to the collection. The v catalogued and placed on the shelves and the pam filed. The books in the library have been classified shelves under subjects, and a Finding List of them pr aration of this list, which began June 16, 1888, ne ing of about twenty thousand cards, the copying pages of manuscript, and the handling of all the boo

In the foreign section of the library the books thirty-one different countries have been classified, a and catalogued. This work included the makin cards, representing fifteen different languages, an composing of six hundred and fifty pages of manus and German books have been classified and arrang

some revision of this list may be necessary before it can be copied. The list of the English books is about ready for the copyist.

In view of the importance of the library to the work of the Office, and the convenience which a catalogue of all of the books upon its shelves would afford, not only to the employés of the Office, but to those interested in educational literature throughout the country, it is important that this catalogue should be printed. The appropriations for the use of the Office are not sufficient for this purpose, and following. the precedent which has obtained in regard to the libraries of other bureaus in the departments, I respectfully suggest that an appropriation be made by Congress for the purpose of printing and publishing the catalogue of this library.

The collection of college catalogués is the largest and most complete of any in this country, and constitutes a valuable part of the library. Many of these catalognes have been arranged chronologically by decades, or half decades, and prepared for the bindery. Over four hundred volumes have already been bound, whil ny more await completion preparatory to binding. The importa, ce of binding and preserving these catalogues becomes a matter of great interest to educators, when it is remembered that many of our leading colleges do not possess complete sets of their own publications. Colleges frequently apply to this library for catalogues, or other publications to complete

their sets.

The Museum of the Office has been enriched during the year by the accession of many articles, notable among which are a set of Langls' wall views of famous buildings, and a series of casts from antique gems illustrating the literature and history of Greece and Rome. Collections of this kind would be very valuable adjuncts to all instruction given in American schools and colleges.

In making additions to the Museum, I have been guided in all cases by the advice of eminent men actually engaged in the work of education, and personally cognizant of the contents and deficiencies of the

collection.

If this Bureau were housed in a building suitable to its work, and capable of storing its collections adequately, I would urge the propriety of making its library a depository for every native book, and its Museum the depository of every native map, chart, engraving, print, or apparatus intended for use in schools or bearing upon educational Subjects, and I should be pleased to have you consider the propriety of recommending to Congress such an extension of the patent and copy. right laws as will require proprietors of such works to deposit copies a this Office for preservation as above indicated.

While the Office remains in temporary and inconvenient quarters, or exposed to the chance of removal to others yet less suitable for the disharge of its duties, this proposition is impracticable. But I feel it my duty to suggest it now and here, in order to bear my personal testimony

to what this Bureau might become if treated with the consideration that its objects and methods justify.

THE DIVISION OF STATISTICS.

To the Division of Statistics is confided the duty of preparing such parts of the Annual Reports and other publications of the Office as do not require the constant personal attention of the Commissioner. When the general plan of a document has been settled in detail, the collection of facts, the construction of tables, the composition of text, and the correction of proof may be devolved on a corps of trained employés working in the charge of a competent chief, who is always in consultation with the head of the Office.

I have insisted ever since I took charge of the Bureau, that before all other duties, it must prepare an Annual Report upon the condition of education in this country. Consequently, the preparation of a very large part of the Annual Reports has been the principal labor of this division.

Two employés have been constantly occupied in the preparation of the Special Report on Education in Fine and Industrial Art, of which a description is given below.

In addition to the preparation of these documents, the employés of the Statistical Division have read the proof of all reports and circulars issued by the Bureau since my assumption of the Commissionership. Whenever necessary, they have also prepared the tables of contents and indexes necessary thereto and have thus added much to their practical usefulness.

I can not conclude this brief account of the division and their work without stating briefly the idea upon which I have proceeded. I have always believed that every piece of work, suited to the ability of the performer, and honestly accomplished, is directly educative in its influence, and I have therefore tried in assigning workers and work to produce an improved condition among the employés under my direction, and I have good reason to believe that they have been personally benefited by my course in this matter, much to the profit of the service.

PLAN OF THE PRESENT REPORT.

The general features of this volume resemble those of the document for last year. I have thought it advisable, however, to transfer the subject of public high schools from the chapters respecting secondary instruction to those which relate to city school systems, in order to make the treatment of public school affairs more complete and systematic. If the same course is pursued hereafter, public kindergartens will eventually be treated with other public schools.

The very full classified statistics of public libraries in the last Report are omitted from this volume, as is, also, the subject index to the earlier

publications of the Office. The space thus gained has been given to the consideration of other parts of the general subject. My two previous Annual Reports, especially the last, indicate the general direction in which I am moulding the details and shaping the contents of this volume. Simplicity, unity, consistency, and due brevity have been the objects. sought to be attained. I am confident that this volume will be found more concise, more logical, and more comprehensive than its immediate predecessor.

In addition to the permanent topics which should be considered every year, researches in special directions have been prosecuted; these will be continued or replaced by others as propriety or opportunity dictates. In this way I hope to preserve the continuity essential to a series, while giving each document some marked individuality of its own.

I reserve further remarks about the contents of this volume for Chapter II.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF THE OFFICE.

I take this occasion to recapitulate the documents issued by this Bureau since I assumed charge of it, in the month of August, 1886. And first as to

(A) Documents left unfinished by my predecessor, which have been completed in accordance with his designs, but printed and distributed during my incumbency, as set forth in each case:

(a) The Annual Report for 1884-85. One hundred and four pages of tabular and index matter were compiled, and 158 pages, completing the document, were printed.

(b) Circular of Information No. 1, 1886: Study of Music in Public Schools; 20 pages added, and the whole, 78 pages, printed.

(e) List of Libraries in the United States, 96 pages; tabulated and printed.

(d) The Special Report on Educational Exhibits and Conventions at the New Orleans Exposition of 1884-85, 964 pages; printed from the plates.

(e) The Special Report on Indian Education and Civilization, 693 pages; 100 pages added, the whole revised, set in type, stereotyped, and printed.

(B) Next as to documents undertaken and completed entirely during my term of office.

(a) The Annual Report for 1885-86, 813 pages.

(5) The Annual Report for 1886-87, 1,170 pages.

(e) Circular of Information No. 2, 1886: Proceedings of the Department of Superintendence of the National Educational Association for 1886, 91 pages.

(d) Circular of Information No. 1, 1887: The College of William and Mary, 89 pages.

(e) Circular of Information No. 2, 1887: The Study of History in American Colleges and Universities, 299 pages.

(f) Circular of Information No. 3, 1887: Proceedings of the Depart ment of Superintendence of the National Educational Association for 1887, 200 pages.

(g) Circular of Information No. 1, 1888: Thomas Jefferson and the University of Virginia, 308 pages.

(h) Circular of Information No. 2, 1888: History of Education in North Carolina, 180 pages.

(i) Circular of Information No. 5, 1888; Industrial Education in the South, 86 pages.

(j) Circular of Information No. 6, 1888: Proceedings of the Depart ment of Superintendence of the National Educational Association for 1888, 165 pages.

The foregoing items, when consolidated, show that since August, 1886, this Bureau has printed 1,771 pages of matter on hand at that date, and collected, compiled, and printed 3,621 other pages of matter, a total of 5,392 octavo pages. About 2,000 of these pages are printed in solid brevier.

(C) Lastly as to documents unfinished at the present writing.

(a) This present Annual Report, for 1887-88, which will shortly be completed, except the index.

(b) Part II of the Special Report upon American Education in Fine and Industrial Art; this work was undertaken in response to a resolution of the U. S. Senate, dated February 2, 1880; Part I-Drawing in Public Schools-was first printed in 1885 as a Senate document; next, to the number of 250 copies, in 1886, on requisition of this Bureau; and lastly in 1887, to the number of 5,000 copies, by concurrent resolution of Congress.1 Part II is mainly devoted to an account of the movement for industrial training which is at present attracting so much attention, not only in the United States, but throughout the civilized world. It is treated in this volume with especial reference to the question of its adoption by the public schools throughout the United States. The delay in the issue o Part II has compelled considerable change in the original plan, since the movement has so rapidly developed. This work is still in charge or Mr. I. Edwards Clarke, by whom it was begun.

(c) Circular of Information No. 3, 1888: History of Higher Education in South Carolina; at the Printing Office.2.

(d) Circular of Information No. 4, 1888: History of Education in Georgia; at the Printing Office.2

'The edition of 1885 was entitled "Instruction in Drawing applied to Industrial and Fine Arts;" that of 1886 was called "Industrial and High Art Education in the United States;" and that of 1887, "American Education in Fine and Industrial Art."

2 Printed and distributed before the issue of the present Report.