LIBRARY FACILITIES

It is often called to the attention of Harvard men that one of the greatest and most important facilities offered them is a practically unrivaled group of libraries. Having undoubtedly the most comprehensive and complete university library in the world, rating fifth in size even with state institutions, it offers one of the strongest inducements to prospective Harvard students.

In the closing sentence of his article in today's CRIMSON Dr. Cole, writing on the Baker Library strikes at the very heart of the attitude which has pervaded all the Harvard University libraries, when he says, "compulsion in the use of the library facilities ceases at an early stage: opportunity in the employment of its unusual resources persists throughout the student's career."

The results of this attitude are clearly shown in the Baker Library as it stands today. Twenty odd years is a small time in which to gather together a working reference library for a graduate school, and although it naturally can hardly be completed, at the same time it represents one of the outstanding collections in its field in the country.

Building up a library in two decades is far from easy, especially when it is dependent to a large extent on selecting it from the flood of contemporary material. To those men who have been connected with this work during the library's life both Harvard University and American business owe a deep debt of gratitude.