Flood Control

Long cherished as a natural for fallen arches and other pediatric disorders, this term's booklines have proven a shocking disappointment to the moguls of Dr. Scholl's. After an initial rush, present lines move with the speed of a well-oiled production system, and the last interminable half-hour becomes bearable through the installation of seats in the Coop's bookroom. The regularly occurring fiascoes of previous terms seem to have driven home a hardlearned lesson among book dealers throughout the Square, but an early shortage of essential texts makes the actual purchase of books a highly dubious proposition.

Scary rumors of a record enrollment goaded bookstore owners into a complete reorganization of existing facilities. The Harvard Coop, greatest offender during last year's crush, has completely revamped an antiquated system and now sells 25 percent more books in a given time than last term. Similarly, Phillips Book Store performs an effective razzle-dazzle with texts and orders. The joker in an otherwise excellent system lies with the inadequate, inaccurate book lists presented to the stores.

An improved dispensing system becomes a frustrating and irksome wait when large numbers of necessary texts are unavailable. After two days of book orders, large holes appear in the course lists required by popular fields such as Government and Economics. Inaccurate reading lists containing many out-of-print works, poorly estimated class enrollment, and a naive hope that some 250 newly registered students would drop out hinder the purpose of an improved sales plan. While some course instructors completed their book needs as early as last July, others are still making changes and undergraduates must now sweat out three or four short lines instead of one long wait.