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A Bibliography of Alaskan Literature: 1724-1924
Wickersham, James
Wickersham, James
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Abstract
This volume is supposed to contain a complete list of the
titles of all printed books of history, travels, voyages, newspapers,
periodicals, and public documents, in English, Russian,
German, French, Spanish, etc., relating to, descriptive of, or
published in Russian-America, now called Alaska, from 1724
to and including 1924. With the exception of the Introduction
it is a mere compilation of the titles of the books, etc., in which
Russian-America, or Alaska, is described, or which were
printed in Alaska, and are therefore in such intimate relation
to the country as to be of value to the student who wishes to
study the history of the Territory, or some of the various
phases of the development of its material resources.
When the compiler had the honor to be sent as Delegate
to Congress from Alaska in 1908 he wished to secure for his
official use such public documents as had been previously
printed by the government, as an aid in his work. A list was
prepared of such documents and sent to the Superintendent of
Documents, with a request that the items therein be furnished
for that use. They were forwarded, but with the information
that there were many others. The interested student will
notice that the list of United States Public Documents extends
from number 6832 to 10,380, and contains 3,548 titles of public
documents relating to Alaska.
The compiler soon found there were many other books,
foreign and domestic, of equal interest in the study of Alaskan
problems, and innocently enough entered upon the making of
a list of the titles of those which he thought might be needed
in presenting to Congress and its committees a proper view of
the great Territory, of its potential resources and governmental
necessities. Gradually this list increased, as the search was
conducted more widely, until the compilation now embraces
more than 7,000 titles of general or private publications (not
including public documents), in many languages, all relating
to the region he represented in Congress. As the search thus
begun grew wider in its scope, it grew more interesting in its
materials, and the compiler and some of his assistants became
chronic book collectors and students of Alaskan history and
problems.
While every reasonable effort has been made to secure
every title of printed books or magazine articles relating to
Alaska, and of every book or newspaper printed in the Territory,
it is too much to expect that the compilation does contain
every such title. So many books and articles in scientific and
other periodical publications are so misleading in their titles
that it has been found that these are not a fair index to their
contents. From time to time new material relating to Alaska
is being discovered which lies hidden from the bibliographer
who does not read almost every book printed. The best we
can say is that we have made a wide search for Alaskan books
and have listed every title we could find.
A great deal of very valuable matter about the Territory is
contained in speeches made in Congress when Alaskan problems
are considered by that body, but no attempt has been made to
index this scattered material. It will be readily found by the
student who will examine the general indexes to the Congressional
Record. No attempt has been made, either, to. list
the laws passed by Congress for the government of Alaska,
except as they have been published in the Charlton Code, 7850,
the Carter's Code, 4451, or the Compiled Laws of 1913, 9737,
but the indexes to the various volumes of the United States
Statutes at large will readily disclose their existence, location
and contents, and those engaged in any particular research
concerning Congressional matters are referred to those public
indexes. Nor has any attempt been made to collect or index
maps, private or public, of the Territory or its waters. These
maps are usually published in the books or public documents,
and will be found therein. Maps of the coast surveys and
other public charts may be had, and information about them
obtained, by application to the Department from which they
are issued.
The student is also advised that the Superintendent of
Documents, Washington, D. C., publishes a Document Catalogue,
of which fourteen volumes are now printed, in which
a full and careful list is published of all documents issued by
the Government. A careful examination of this Document
Catalogue will disclose all the titles of books and general data
published by the United States about Alaska. These titles are
included in this volume to date, but reference to such Document
Catalogues may be had for all others published hereafter.
Description
Date
1927
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines
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Keywords
Alaskan Literature, Bibliographies