What, No Books?

Dudley Hall, center for the College's 380 commuters, boasts a library including Webster's Dictionary, a few tired periodicals, and a copy of "Campaigning for Christ"--a collection which adds up to about two pages per member. Commuters are forced to buck Widener's waiting lit, its frightful lighting system and depressing atmosphere in order to read many widely used volumes which residents can peruse in the comfort of House libraries. If commuters wish to check books out overnight they are put to the further inconvenience of remaining at Widener or Boylston until nine o'clock.

Before the war, Dudley had a semblance of a library, but it was removed to Widener during the lean years when the number of commutes, along with total enrollment, was at a low ebb. Failure to rebuild this collection has meant that Dudley's patrons receive less benefit than any other group from the University's matches library facilities. The inequality may be removed when the Lamont undergraduate library is completed at some unknown future date. Meanwhile, provision should be made so that commuters--numbering considerably more than the membership of the average House--do not continue to be poor in the midst of plenty.

The suggestion has been made that commuters contribute to their library volumes they no longer need. But the number of books secured in this manner would be far from adequate. The University should purchase or procure from Widener enough books to stock a library of at least 2500 basic texts and reference works. Commuters should be allowed to check out books from this collection for overnight use at five or six o'clock in the afternoon in order to avoid remaining in the Square until the official liberation hour of the tomes on Widener's well stocked shelves.