Oriental Studies to Move To Geographic Institute

The Harvard Yen-Ching Institute will move its headquarters from Boylston Hall to the Geographical Institute Building next fall. An extensive new wing will be built onto the Geographical Institute to accomodate the Yen-Ching library.

Edwin O. Reischauer, Director of the Institute and professor of Far Eastern Languages, revealed yesterday that final arrangements have been made for widespread remodeling of the ground floor and basement of the Geographical Institute and construction of a four-story library wing extending in the direction of the Semitic Museum (see picture above).

Defense Studies Ousted

The Defense Studies Program, whose offices now occupy the ground floor of the Geographical Institute, will move to temporary accomodations on the second floor of the Semitic Museum. The Program expects eventually to be housed with the Center for International Studies, of which it is now officially a part.

The Yen-Ching Institute, a research center for the study of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean language and literature, has been hoping for some time to move out of Boylston Hall. Boylston is not fireproof, and much of the Institute's collection of 300,000 books and manuscripts is irreplaceable.

Need Air Conditioning

Reischauer further explained that the Yen-Ching has been cramped for space at Boylston, and that its present set-up does not include any air-conditioning equipment needed to maintain a humidity control on ancient volumes.

The Institute will use the basement and first three floors of the new library wing for stack space, faculty offices, and private stalls for study and research. The fourth floor will be occupied by the newly-formed Department of Statistics,

Reischauer estimates that construction of the new wing will begin "in early or mid-winter" and that the new building will be ready for occupancy by next September.

830,000 Volumes

The library, which includes space in the basement of the Geographical Institute, will have room for 830,000 volumes, which Reischauer says should cover "all the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean books that will ever have to be made available at Harvard."

The "larger part of the share" in financing the construction will be borne by the Yen-Ching Institute, an organization completely separate from the University. The University will, however, contribute to the cost of the program, since, as Reischauer says, "the plans include office and stall space for the benefit of all members of the University."