Widener to Clock Stack Girls, and Shut Up Critics

In an effort to increase the efficiency of its system, Widener Library has installed a time stamp. This stamp puts the time when a call card is received at the circulation desk on one side and the time when the book requested reaches the desk on the other. In this way the library hopes to answer critics who claim that an hour or more is the usual wait for a book from the stacks.

"It now takes an average of twelve minutes for the entire process," claims Chief of Loan Services, Lawrence Kipp. "Considering the size of the stacks, we think that's pretty good."

Faster Service

The process consists of taking the card for the book desired and stamping it. It then does to the out desk to ascertain if the book is in the stacks. From here, a stack girl takes the card, goes and gets the book, and returns it to the circulation desk, where the card is stamped again.

"We are often slowed up," says Kipp, "because people who have stack passes are unfamiliar with the arrangement of the books, and misplace them."

To remedy the situation, Kipp plans to have these people leave books at the desk for the girls to put away. In this way, the library hopes to make it easier and quicker for other students to get what they fant.