is growing in importance every year, and the public is coming more and more fully to recognize that librarians are not merely collectors and custodians of books, that the function of facilitating to the public use the libraries under their charge is at least as important as any other that they are called upon to exercise.
The work of the section devoted to historical literature has been undertaken with the cooperation of the American Historical Association, by a committee having as chairman Dr. W. F. Poole, of the Newberry Library. Six sessions are planned, and for them have been collected upwards of thirty papers, mostly by American writers and upon American subjects. The healthful activity of local historical studies has been one of the most promising intellectual signs of recent years, and our country has developed a school of historical investigators hardly second to that of any other in industry, in scientific method, or in philosophical outlook. A few of the more important papers to be read at this Congress are the following: "The Inadequate Recognition of Diplomatists by Historians," by President James B. Angell; "Personal Explorations at Watling Island," by Herr Rudolph Cronau, of Leipzig; "Condition of Spain in the Sixteenth Century," by Professor Bernard Moses; "Early Slavery in Illinois," by Mr. William Henry Smith; and "The Time-Element in American History," by Professor Moses Coit Tyler.
The work of the Congress of Philologists has been planned by a committee having as chairman Mr. W. M. Payne, with the cooperation of the American Philological Association, the Modern Language Association of America, and the American Dialect Society. These three societies will hold formal meetings, and their work will be supplemented by a number of papers obtained from outside sources, many of these relating to Oriental philology and archeology. About sixty papers will be included in the work of the philological section, and it will be necessary, during the greater part of the week, to hold two sessions at the same time. Among the features of these sessions may be mentioned the annual address of the President of the American Philological Association, Professor W. G. Hale, upon the subject of "Democracy and Education," discussed in the last number of The Dial; a paper by Mr. T. G. Pinches, of the British Museum, upon "Unpublished Manuscript Treasures"; a paper by Professor Richard Garbe, of the University of Königsberg, upon "The Connection between Indian and Greek Philosophy"; a paper by Dr. Richter, of Berlin, upon "The Archæology of Cyprus"; a paper by Professor Emil Hausknecht, of Berlin, upon "Pedagogical Questions in Germany"; a paper by Dr. William C. Winslow, Vice-President of the Egypt Exploration Fund, upon "Old Testament History in the Light of Recent Discoveries"; and a paper by Professor [[Author:F. A. March|F. A. March[[, upon "The Language of the Sciences and a Universal Language." The papers above named will be read by their authors. Other European philologists coming to America for the express purpose of attending this Congress are Professor Wilhelm Streitberg, of Freiburg (Switzerland), Professor E. A. Sonnenschein, of Birmingham, and Professor Hermann Osthoff, of Heidelberg. Among the important papers sent from Europe to the Congress are the following: "Assyrian Tablet Libraries," by Professor A. H. Sayce, of Oxford; "Canons of Etymological Investigation," by Professor Michel Breal, of the College de France; "Koptic Art and Its Relation to Early Christian Ornament," by Dr. Georg Ebers; and "The Great Altar at Dagr el Baharee (Thebes)," by Dr. Edouard Naville, a paper presenting the results of the author's latest excavations.
Extensive as is the programme of the Philological Congress, that of the Folk-Lore section is still more extensive. Mr. Fletcher S. Bassett, the enthusiastic chairman of the committee upon this subject, has obtained upward of seventy papers from specialists in all parts of the world, and has secured the attendance of some of the most distinguished among European folk-lorists, including M. Charles Ploix, President of the French Society; Mr. J. Abercrombie, Vice-President of the English Society; Herr Ulrich Jahn, of the Berlin Society; and Mr. Smigrodski, of Warsaw, who comes as the representative of several Continental societies. One feature of the Folk-Lore Congress will be of extraordinary interest. On Friday evening a concert will be given for the purpose of illustrating the popular songs of the various races of mankind. This concert is made possible by the presence at the Exposition of many types of humanity, and a score or more of nationalities will be represented in the programme. No single event of the week is likely to attract wider attention or excite more general interest.
The Congress of Authors, in which our readers probably take a more general interest than
