0.15 Appendixes  (Page 10/16)

There are differences, however, in the three collections (Columbia, N-YHS, NYPL). Columbia has a good collection of standard secondary material and some primary material, but in effect, it is a college and university 'working' library. (As evidence of this Columbia graduate students come to our library and to the NYPL to pursue some intensive research.) It is the least comprehensive and helpful from a research point of view, of the three collections.

The NYPL, however, has an outstanding Civil War collection. Among the material are regimental histories which comprise all possible histories of North­ern and Southern regiments (although Southern regimental histories in any case are less common than for those of the Northern states). In fact, so comprehensive is this collection of regimental histories that the present Chief of the American History Division stated recently that it is difficult to acquire any more regimen­tal histories because the collection is so complete.

On the other hand, The N-YHS Library has a larger collection—in com­parison with the NYPL—of memoirs, reminiscences and recollections of the war, as seen by various participants. It is safe to say that the two libraries (N-YHS and NYPL) are about equal in the number of accounts of prison life, both North and South. They are not necessarily equal in the sense that we duplicate one an­other since we have material they do not have, and vice versa. The New York Pub­lic Library is stronger in economic histories of the Civil War, which include accounts of financial developments, currency fluctuations and the like. At the same time, the NYPL's diplomatic records of the war—i.e., relation with foreign coun­tries and vice versa—is more complete than ours. It is also stronger in Confeder­ate imprints.

It might be advisable to concentrate on New York material (which we do not overlook in any event) and also to attempt to collect primary material out­side of the areas in which the NYPL is strongest (political, economic, and diplo­matic aspects of the war).

In any case, the collections in the NYHS and the NYPL do not constitute complete duplication in Civil War material. It is currently the policy at the New York Public Library to purchase almost all Civil War material now published. In one area, for example, the purchase of regimental histories relating to regiments outside of New York State we might, in view of the NYPL collection, consider discontinuing such purchases.

• It is suggested in view of the survey above that we continue to purchase Civil War regimental histories. It is suggested, particularly that we include regimental histories of New England and the other Middle Atlantic states.
• In view of the large collection of accounts of prison life diaries, memoirs and reminiscences—of Union troops—it is suggested that this material be added to when possible.
• It is suggested, in view of the large Confederate Collections of reminiscences, memoirs, diaries, etc., in the outstanding Southern universities (e.g., Uni­versity of North Carolina) that we do not attempt to collect this material for our library.
• It is suggested, because of the general histories of the period and the specific material which we already have adequately dealing with this area, that we do not attempt to collect additional material relating to the diplomatic and eco­nomic aspects of the Civil War. A further consideration in this field, worthy of note, is the fact that the NYPL and Columbia are particularly strong in this area.
• It is suggested, since our strength is essentially in Union material and also because of present inflated prices, that we do not attempt to build a collection of Confederate imprints, as such, beyond what we already have.
• It is suggested that we collect primary material relating to slavery, anti-slavery and Reconstruction in view of the outstanding pamphlet collection which we have at present in this field.
• It is suggested that military history of the Civil War, per se, be purchased when it is of a primary nature or of such outstanding value as to complement the ma­terial in our Reference Library. In this area, as a suggestion, we might include such items as battle accounts, campaign recollections of military figures, etc.
• It is suggested, because of the flow of secondary accounts currently published dealing with the Civil War, that this material be purchased only on the basis of reviews in the outstanding history periodicals. It is also suggested, in this connection, that the purchase of secondary material might also be determined by the worth of its bibliographies and new source material.