LIBRARIANS PROBE LENDING TIME OF WIDENER VOLUMES

Surveys are now going on in Widener Library to determine why books are not available when called for by students, and also to determine whether the month period allowed for keeping books out is too long, it was learned yesterday from Library sources.

New Lighting Introduced

In addition a special employee has been stationed behind the desk in the Delivery Room, whose job it is to trace all lost books and those reported missing. Further, the overhead lighting in the Reading Room has been doubled in intensity during the last three weeks. The indirect lights already installed on the tables do not work so well with a vaulted ceiling as with a flat, white ceiling, but the overhead illumination has been doubled to overcome a part of this difficulty.

Inasmuch as no new employees have been added to the staff to assist in conducting the surveys, and since it is not believed likely that there will be any wholesale increase, it seems probable that the investigations will not be concluded until some time after mid-years.

Question Borrowing Period

The principle purpose of the probe is to find out whether the four week period for keeping books should be reduced to two, and also if it would enable applicants for those books to get them sooner. In order to determine this it will be necessary to check carefully the lists of all books asked for and out of the library at the time.

Faculty Privilege Assailed

At the same time investigations are being conducted into the practice of allowing Faculty members the privilege of keeping books out indefinitely. Although instructors and professors are expected to renew books after every month, no fine is charged the Faculty for late returns, so it is virtually possible for them to keep books out months at a time.

Lastly a check of the books not located is being made to determine whether the books are actually in the stacks, have been misplaced or are lent. There was no indication as to the length of time necessary for the undertaking.