Lamont Cafe Plans Finalized

Lamont’s third-floor Reference Room will be converted into a long-awaited social and eating space this October, with a décor matching the library’s current interior design, according to Larsen Librarian of Harvard College Nancy M. Cline.

The Lamont Café Committee reached a consensus on recommendations related to the cafe’s design, food offerings, and possible hours of operation last Thursday.

The cafe will be open during the hours when most students utilize library services. The committee is looking into vending service options for the hours during which the cafe would not be staffed.

Reference services will be relocated to the stacks adjacent to the Ginsberg Reading Room on the main level.

Beth S. Brainard, director of communcations for Harvard College Library, said the recommendations for a social yet studious atmosphere were consistent with the kind of space Lamont had wanted to offer.

Cline agreed. “If you’re looking for comfort [while] having to be miserable studying, you might as well be with your friends,” she said.

Cline added that the cafe is not meant to replace House dining hall meals, nor to compete with the Barker Center across the street. She also said she hoped teaching fellows would utilize the space for office hours and study networks, and that reference librarians use it for informal teaching.

“We drink coffee too,” she said, laughing.

In reaching its decisions, the committee took into account results of a recent survey conducted by the Undergraduate Council, Cline said.

According to the survey, conducted at Lamont and Quincy House last month, most students said they preferred a coffeehouse atmosphere with a decor similar to Lamont’s current design. The survey results recommended a variety of seating options conducive to both socializing and study, and light fare designed to accommodate both snacking and meals.

Students also noted the importance of having healthy food offerings that would serve as energy boosters throughout the night, and also strongly indicated a preference for name-brand over generic coffee.

The cafe is one of several construction projects going on at Lamont this summer, including the replacement of heating and cooling equipment, removal and resetting of the outside steps, replacement of stair treads in four interior stairways, and renovation of the Woodberry Poetry Room.

“It’s going to be a multi-million-dollar summer in Lamont,” Cline said.

The cafe itself has a working budget of a million dollars or less, according to Cline.

“We may have to adjust our expectations a little bit about the size or furnishings to stay within budget, but we hope not to have to change,” she said.

Construction on the cafe will begin immediately following the end of reunion events in June.

Some students were enthusiastic about the cafe plans. “As a fan of Cabot library, a cafe might entice me to go to Lamont to study, especially if we can use Board Plus,” said Andrew L. Chang ’08.

Benjamin P. Belser ’09 said that in addition to the healthy and non-healthy food options and comfortable seating, he would also appreciate air conditioners. “Lamont can get a little hot,” he said.

However, Lamont Librarian Heather E. Cole wrote in an e-mail that with or without a cafe, Lamont is first and foremost a place for study.

“Food service and libraries are not natural partners,” she wrote. “I have the impression that in the period between moonrise and moonset, people expect that the rules will change, but not here.”

—Staff writer Elaine Chen can be reached at chen23@fas.harvard.edu.