No. 131.

IN ASSEMBLY,

April 5, 1865.

ANNUAL REPORT

OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE NEW YORK STATE LIBRARY.

To the Hon. GEORGE G. HOSKINS,

Speaker of the Assembly:

Sir-I have the honor to transmit the forty-seventh Annual Report of the Trustees of the New York State Library.

I remain, respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

JOHN V. L. PRUYN,

Chancellor of the University.

STATE LIBRARY, ALBANY, March 30, 1865.

The Regents of the University of the State of New York are, by law, declared to be ex-officio trustees of the State Library. The following are the members of the Board at the date of this report:

JOHN V. L. PRUYN, LL. D., Chancellor.

GULIAN C. VERPLANCK, LL. D., Vice-Chancellor.
REUBEN E. FENTON, Governor. (Ex-officio.)

THOMAS G. ALVORD, Lieutenant Governor. (Ex-officio.)

CHAUNCEY M. DEPEW, Secretary of State. (Ex-officio.)

VICTOR M. RICE, Superintendent of Public Instruction. (Ex-officio.)

ERASTUS CORNING,

PROSPER M. WETMORE,

GIDEON HAWLEY, LL. D.,
ROBERT CAMPBELL,

REV. SAMUEL LUCKEY, LL. D.,
ROBERT G. RANKIN,

ERASTUS C. BENEDICT,

GEORGE W. CLINTON, LL. D.,
REV. ISAAC PARKS, D. D.,

LORENZO BURROWS,

ROBERT S. HALE,

ELIAS W. LEAVENWORTH,

J. CARSON BREVOORT,

GEORGE R. PERKINS, LL. D.,
ALEXANDER S. JOHNSON, LL. D.,
GEORGE W. CURTIS,

REV. WILLIAM H. GOODWIN, D. D.

SAMUEL B. WOOLWORTH, LL. D., Secretary.

Standing Committee of the Regents specially charged with the care of the State Library, 1865.

1

REPORT.

To the Honorable the Legislature of the State of New York:

The Trustees of the State Library respectfully submit this their Forty-seventh Annual Report:

At the close of the year 1863, the whole number of volumes in

At the close of the year 1864, the whole number in the general

The additions during the year have therefore been to the general

Of which 1,592 volumes have been added by purchase, and 568 by donation and exchange.

The causes of the diminished growth of the library-the increased price of books and no increase of means at the disposal of the Trustees alluded to in the last report, have continued during the past year. They have imposed the necessity of suspending the purchase of nearly all foreign works, except such as are imperatively demanded for the law library. Enlarged appropriations will be hereafter required to supply the deficiencies thus created, and it is respectfully submitted to the consideration of the Legislature how far a wise economy will permit these deficiencies to accumulate. They must at some time be supplied, or the character of the library will be seriously impaired.