Future of Littauer Space Debated

A committee from the Harvard College Library (HCL) met for the first time last Friday with representatives of the economics department to brainstorm potential uses for a soon-to-be vacant space in Littauer Hall near the Science Center.

Although plans remain tentative, HCL is eyeing Littauer as a possible location for Government Documents—currently housed in Lamont—while the economics department sees the vacancy as an opportunity to expand classroom and office space.

The economics department will already inherit most of the space directly, but the portion of the Littauer Library, which now houses government-related collections, will be up for grabs.

These collections, along with the entire government department, are scheduled to move in the summer of 2005 to the Center for Government and International Studies (CGIS)—currently under construction on Cambridge Street.

At this first meeting, committee members from both HCL and the economics department evaluated the dimensions of the space and discussed each side’s wish-lists for the location, according to Roy E. Larsen Professor of Political Economy James Stock.

In the last several months, HCL and economics department have been developing these wish-lists independently.

According to Associate Librarian of the College for Research and Instruction Lynda Leahy, Littauer could be the new home of Government Documents—a massive collection of international state records, United Nations hearings and other primary materials—now occupying the bottom level of Lamont. HCL has been considering moving Government Documents since last summer.

“I think the idea is that HCL wants the space in Lamont solely for undergraduate studies,” said Susan Leavitt, who serves on the HCL steering committee that is evaluating the relocation of Government Documents. “But it’s hard to come up with anything definite until we know how much space we’re talking about.”

Leavitt, who is also the Head of Circulation and the Reserves Coordinator at Littauer, said that in the event of a move, space constraints may force the volumes of Government Documents—which outnumber those in Widener—to be dispersed among Littauer, the Harvard Depository and Widener.

“It’s not that we want to jumble up the collection,” she said, “but it has to do with space available, what makes sense to keep together, what isn’t used as much.”

Leahy, who heads the steering committee, stressed the relative infancy of the Littauer proposal. She said that so far, HCL has only focused on gathering information and statistics about the use of Government Documents.

“The group has been talking with individuals and groups who understand what the collections are and what they’re used for,” she said. “We’re kind of early in the discussion, and absolutely no decision has been made.”

According to Leahy, plans about what might replace Government Documents space in Lamont are also premature, although ideas about a social area, cafe or an extended-hours study room have been floated.

“There’s a consistent request by students for longer hours in the library, and we would really like to be able to do that,” she said.

The economics department, meanwhile, is seeking an architect to estimate the feasibility and cost of expanding into the space, according to Stock.

Some members of the economics department have been dissatisfied with Littauer’s layout since the first renovation in the 1970s, which Stock called “poorly done.” The faculty is seeking more room for classes and offices, he said.

Stock, who attended the Friday meeting with HCL representatives, said while the final decision will rest with administrators of the Faculty Arts and Sciences, both sides are optimistic that the space will be put to the best possible use.

“Ultimately, the economics department and the library have the same job—which is serving the educational mission of the institution,” he said. “We both have an interest in seeing what is the most sensible use of this space but at this point, we haven’t had the architects sit down and do the analysis yet.”

—Staff writer Leon Neyfakh can be reached at neyfakh@fas.harvard.edu.