Drive to Finance Library Addition

President Pusey has announced the formation of a national committee to raise $5 million for the construction of the underground addition to the University Library.

Under the chairmanship of Lammot du Pont Copeland '27, the committee will solicit the necessary funds from a select group of wealthy benefactors, Merle Fainsod, Director of the University Library, said yesterday.

If the drive proceeds on schedule, the University hopes to break ground for the addition in June 1969. The figure of $5 million is the projected construction cost for that date, Fainsod said.

Four New Levels

Located on the east side of the Yard beside the President's house, the underground addition will contain four levels, providing 104,000 square feet to store 1,100,000 books. The upper two levels will add space to Houghton Library for its Manuscript Division, Theatre Collection, and general stacks.

The two lower levels will contain research collections of Widener as well as 25 faculty studies and 75 stalls for graduate students. The new facility will connect directly with existing underground levels of Widener, Houghton, and Lamont.

According to Fainsod, "this addition is essential if Harvard is to avoid undesirable fragmentation of its collections."