Hilles Will Add Half Hour To Evening Ban on Men

Beginning Saturday, Hilles Library will be closed to men from 5 to 8 p.m. -- a half hour longer than the limits established on a trial basis at the beginning of reading period.

A Wednesday-night survey by the library showed that 520 people were competing for Hilles' 500 usable study places despite the addition of 25 more seats since the first restrictions were begun on May 5.

The primary cause for this crowding, Lucy M. Manzi, acting head librarian of Hilles, said yesterday, was the 330 people who entered between 7 and 8 p.m. Keeping men out until 8 p.m. should solve the problem and still enable all Harvard students to use Hilles facilities without much inconvenience, Miss Manzi and Mary I. Bunting, president of Radcliffe, decided yesterday.

In announcing the original plan to the Radcliffe Government Association, Mrs. Bunting had stated that the 5 to 7:30 restriction was only temporary. It would be modified, she said, if it did not relieve the pressure on library facilities.

More Restrictions

After the Wednesday night survey revealed that the problem was still acute, Mrs. Bunting and Miss Manzi decided that further measures were needed to stop evening overcrowding.

As in the original plan, men who have entered the library before 5 p.m. will be permitted to remain, but only Cliffies and women graduate students may enter Hilles between 5 and 8.

Mrs. Bunting and RGA had approved the first plan with the idea that Cliffies who intend to study at Hilles could come before 7:30 and be assured of getting seats. They also hoped that exclusion during this time discourage some men from coming and thus solve the overcrowding without an across-the-board banning of all groups or one particular group of men -- a measure which Mrs. Bunting considered to be against University library policy.

Mornings Safe

Mrs. Bunting first announced the restrictions after a Radcliffe-wide referendum had showed that 40 per cent of all Cliffies wished to change the original open-to-all Harvard Hilles policy. At that time, she thought that perhaps morning restrictions would have to be enacted. But, Miss Manzi said yesterday, this measure will not be necessary.

Both Mrs. Bunting and library officials have said they hope to end the restrictions as soon as possible.