Page:U.S. Department of the Interior Annual Report 1876.djvu/22

XVIII kindergarten and other private schools; also,detailed statements for each State respecting instruction in normal schools, academies, high schools, collegiate preparatory schools, business-colleges, colleges for women, scientific and agricultural schools, colleges and universities, schools of theology, law, and medicine, institutions for the deaf and dumb and blind, and other special schools, together with unusually complete tables of statistics of schools of all classes, compiled from replies to especial inquiries addressed by the Commissioner to the several State and city superintendents and to educational institutions throughout the country.

Much interesting information is also given respecting the history of the administration of education, besides a detailed account of the educational exhibits made by several of the States and by foreign governments at the Centennial International Exhibition. An increased interest in all that pertains to the history and present condition of education in this country has everywhere been awakened by the centennial commemoration, and calls upon the office for educational information have been greater than at any former period, especially from foreign officials and those authorized by foreign governments to make reports upon education in the United States.

In the regular discharge of its duties, the office has sent out some 7,500 reports and 33,000 pamphlets, published by it.

The labors of the statistical division have been greatly increased during the year by assiduous efforts to present with greater fullness and accuracy the statistics of the several classes of institutions embraced in the report as well as by the numerous calls by investigators at home and abroad for statistical information respecting special classes of schools or special subjects of instruction. The inquiries sent out by the division during the year numbered more than 7,000, to most of which replies were returned. These have been carefully collated and the results tabulated for the annual report.

The Centennial brought a manifold tax upon the office. Inquirers turned to it from all quarters, asking how an educational exhibit could be made.

The office offered the only national agency for harmonizing the diverse plans of the various systems and institutions.

In the furtherance of this object, experts were employed on various subjects, and over 80,000 printed documents and letters were sent out, in addition to an extended correspondence.

The special report on public libraries in the United States, which was announced in my last report as in preparation, was completed in October last, and is now through the press. The report traces the history and development of the several classes of public and semi-public libraries in the country, and presents important contributions by prominent librarians and experts on the leading questions connected with library economy and management, besides detailed statistics of nearly 3,700 public libraries, containing, in the aggregate, 12,276,964 volumes.