Langdell Denies Undergrad Study Space

Undergraduates hoping to spend reading and exam period buried in the depths of the Harvard Law School (HLS) Library will have to find another place to study this year.

Unlike last year, when signs warned undergraduates to study elsewhere, soon only HLS keycards will work in the Langdell turnstiles.

Due to overcrowding during previous reading periods, access to Langdell Library will be limited to HLS students, faculty and staff from May 7 through May 26, according to Paul M. George, HLS associate librarian for research services.

Any member of the Harvard University community will be allowed to use the library's collection, but non HLS students will not be permitted to use the library as a study space.

Undergraduates needing to use the library's collection will have to obtain permission from the circulation desk, he said.

George said the library realizes that students who enter the library for research purposes might stay to study and has considered several methods to prevent non-HLS students from taking advantage of the system.

George said possible solutions include requiring students to report which classes and professors they need access to the collection for, having library personnel retrieve books for students, issuing temporary library use passes, and keeping students' backpacks when they enter the library.

"We are concerned about that, but at first we'll assume students are more honest than that," he said.

Last year was the first time the library closed its doors for reading period, and according to George, it is not an unusual step for law school libraries to take.

In recent exam and reading periods, the library has received several complaints from law students regarding the lack of study space, George said.

He pointed out that during this winter's reading and exam period, 450undergraduates per day had used the library, whichhas only 600 seats.

According to George, the overcrowding not onlydepleted space for law students trying to studybut also caused a problem for the substantialnumber using the library to write their take-homeexams.

George said he hoped that the temporaryrestriction would not trouble the rest of theHarvard community.

"I know we have a lot of students who come," hesaid. "If they show up, we'll help find anotherplace for them to study."

Librarian of Harvard College Nancy M. Clinesaid that the College Library System woulddistribute information to students about alternateoptions within the Faculty of Arts and Sciencessystem.

"We've found that people aren't necessarilyaware of how many other places there might be todo their work," she said.

But James Y. Ko '00 has been to other Harvardlibraries and said he has found none that beatLangdell.

Ko, who called the library the most beautifulon campus, said he was disappointed to hear ofLangdell's new policy.

"I guess I can understand why they're doingit," he said. "But it kind of sucks for peoplelike me that they're going to lock us out, becauseI do all my studying there.

According to George, the overcrowding not onlydepleted space for law students trying to studybut also caused a problem for the substantialnumber using the library to write their take-homeexams.

George said he hoped that the temporaryrestriction would not trouble the rest of theHarvard community.

"I know we have a lot of students who come," hesaid. "If they show up, we'll help find anotherplace for them to study."

Librarian of Harvard College Nancy M. Clinesaid that the College Library System woulddistribute information to students about alternateoptions within the Faculty of Arts and Sciencessystem.

"We've found that people aren't necessarilyaware of how many other places there might be todo their work," she said.

But James Y. Ko '00 has been to other Harvardlibraries and said he has found none that beatLangdell.

Ko, who called the library the most beautifulon campus, said he was disappointed to hear ofLangdell's new policy.

"I guess I can understand why they're doingit," he said. "But it kind of sucks for peoplelike me that they're going to lock us out, becauseI do all my studying there.