THE LIBRARY: FOR UNDERGRADUATES AND GRADUATES ALIKE

In view of the heavy, pro-graduate student handicap resulting from Widener's tremendous size, there are certain temporary remedies which may be applied to more nearly balance the scales. The most desirable attribute of a service institution is accessibility--a function, in part, of service hours. And for several years, now, students have strongly desired an extension of library hours.

This underground sentiment has not gone unheeded, for if the library is made of stone, certainly its administrative staff is not. They have realized this student demand for longer library hours and have made half-way attempts to remedy the situation. For example, Boylston Reading Room--which, together with other specialty collections, is as much a part of the University Library as Widener itself--has been kept open all Saturday afternoon and evening. Formerly it was closed at one o'clock on Saturdays. Thus it is now open seven days in the week.

Yet this is but a small step in the right direction. Far more important is the opening of Widener on Sundays. This is a large demand, but it can be quite simply granted, although certain financial facts must be first considered.

Last year, partially as a result of the halving of the borrowing period, the library had a twenty per cent increase in circulation, requiring additions to the staff; the budgetary surplus which might have otherwise been used to open Widener on Sundays was thus eaten away.

Thus it would be impossible to keep the entire library open on the Sabbath. What is feasible, however, is to keep the reading, periodical, and catalogue rooms open on Sunday from two in the afternoon till ten in the evening. Since most of the work done Sundays, by undergraduates at least, is course work, the necessary books and magazines would be made readily available if these three rooms were kept open all afternoon and evening.