"Best Books" Exhibit Held in Widener Lobby

Of special interest not only to the Widener worm, but to all ardent bibliophiles as well, is the exhibition of the 50 Books of the Year now showing in the main lobby of Widener.

The exhibition, under the auspices of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, consists of the 50 books selected from the 631 submitted by 148 publishers in the United States, which were judged best from the point of view of their physical excellence. In making their choices, the jury, consisting of three representatives of the publishing world, considered such factors as the material design, the legibility and attractiveness of the page, the use of color and illustrations, the typographic design throughout, and the artistic conception and cohesion of the whole.

Among the books included in the exhibition are the best sellers: "The Epicure in Imperial Russia," "The White Cliffs," "The Flowering of New England," and "Saroyan's Fables." However, the literary content of the books was considered only as it related to the problems of typographic design and production.

The exhibition, which opened in February in Detroit, Baltimore, and New York, will remain in Widener until the end of this week.