Afro Library Opens After Long Delay

The Afro-American Studies Library opened for the year last week after a delay caused by a tight budget, Ewart Guinier '33, chairman of the Afro-American Studies Department, said yesterday.

The library, located on the fifth floor of Lamont library, was first opened by the Afro Department in 1970.

The budget for the Department has remained the same as last year's in spite of increased expenses, Guinier said. He said that the shortage of funds in the Department has forced him to staff the library with work-study students.

Dean Dunlop said yesterday that the library's funds come from a special account, not out of the Afro Department's budget. "The question of the Afro-American Studies budget is not related to the Afro-American Library budget," he said.

Guinier said that most of the $20,000 raised for the department in 1970 by Albert L. Nickerson '33, a Fellow of Harvard College, has been used to buy books and pay the library's staff.

He said that earlier this year he appointed two staff workers in the Department to find suitable work-study candidates to run the library, but they were unable to do so until last week.

Bradlee T. Howe '63, director of student employment, confirmed yesterday that Guinier had made a request for work-study students to work in the library. Howe said that Guinier made his request for employees late, and that because of a lack of Federal funds the employment office could only fund 250 of the 400 job spots open in the University. Therefore, he said, "the students had a large selection of jobs to choose from, some more attractive than library work."

Work-study employees were exclusively sought because the Federal government provides 80 per cent of the salaries paid to them.

The library will be open 53 hours a week including Saturdays.