1869.] American Institute of Architects. 76 1 AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS. THE Report of the proceedings of the Second Annual Convention, held in New York on December 8th, 1868, just published, gives much inter- esting information to the profession and the public at large. We present here the Report of the Committee on Library and Publications. To the American Institute of Architects: Tour Committee on Library and Pub- lications, respectfully report : That all papers and reports read in the last Convention of the Institute, together with the Minutes of its Pro- ceedings, having been referred to 3 r our Committee for publication, your Com- mittee met the next morning, and after electing its officers, made arrangements for the immediate issue of those docu- ments. * * * * * * * The edition consisted of a thousand copies, two hundred and fifty of which are re- served without covers, while the re- mainder were distributed as fast as the limited resources of your Committee would allow, to members of the Insti- tute, practising and honorary, to other architects, amateurs, prominent indi- viduals, colleges, scientific societies, libraries, clubs, &c, throughout the country, and to the architectural socie- ties and journals abroad. By several of these foreign journals, as well as by some of our own, the contents of these proceedings have been liberally quoted from. Your Committee haA-e also published a valuable scientific pamphlet, prepared by Mr. R. G. Hatfield, Fellow, on fire- proof floors. The edition comprised 500 copies, 250 without and 250 with covers, 50 of the latter being placed at the disposal of Mr. Hatfield. Mr. Hatfield relieved your Committee of all expenditure of time or labor in the preparation and supervision for the press of this important document. Your Committee have also published an abstract of some proceedings of the N. Y. Chapter, under the head of Occa- sional Paper, No. 1. Your Committee have likewise printed 2,000 copies of the Schedule of Charges adopted by the In stitute. A copy was forwarded to all the Ar- chitects on its Secretary's list, with the information that extra copies can be had at cost price rates. In adopting the sj'stem of selling instead of giving away, 3 r our Committee has been governed by their perception of the well known fact that, as a rule, people value most, whether on a large or small scale, what they have paid for. Seven hundred and seventy-five of these Schedules have been called for and sold. In accordance with instructions received from the In- stitute on June 2d, your Committee published the Constitution and new By- Laws of the Institute, introducing the latest information, and some improve- ments of arrangement into the accom- panying list of members, officers, &c, and into the appendices — for the perfec- tion of one of which (Extracts from the Law on Unsafe Buildings), according to the latest of the amendments of the Legislature, they procured documents from the Secretary of State. Your Com- mittee was authorized to publish 500 copies of these new By-Laws. Of this number they ordered only 200 to be finished, reserving the major portion to be put together with the list of officers for 1868-9, and for any necessary cor- rection in the appendices. Taking into consideration the fact that differences of opinion on all sub- jects, and not least on those pertaining to building art and science, must neces- sarily exist among those who address themselves to others as authorities in their specialties, and being unwilling to
