Rational Ratio

When the bright glare of publicity focused on the inequities of applying Lamont's 9 p.m. check-out time to commuters, library officials uttered a quiet tut-tut, but that was all. As early as October, the Student Council presented them with a solution: allow commuters to take out one of every five conies of reserved books at five o'clock, these books being marked specifically for non-residents. But after two months, both the books and the ratio plan are still shelved.

In that time, the plan has gathered considerable opposition from library officials for its "impracticality." Invalid singly, their chief objections are no more persuasive taken together. Librarians charge, for example, that commuters look like everyone else and residents could take advantage of the similarity to sneak books out for themselves. Yet, library officials could easily identify the commuters by checking their names with the commuter list. Since there is no congestion at the check-out desks at five, the plan would neither interrupt routine nor require increased personnel.

The librarians also fear that resident students in the library will keep reading the books marked for commuters past five o'clock. By this reasoning, why not keep all the books inside the library? With its high fine rate, Lamont has considerable success in extracting its books from bleary eyed students at nine each morning. With similar penalties within the library itself, the staff could easily force residents to return commuters' books at five.

Finally, the officials criticize the ratio plan because it would give commuters "special privileges." A commuting student may be forgive an unamused smile when he hears "commuter" and "special privileges" linked. Those commuters who must retrace two to five miles after dinner for their books have a considerable inconvenience, not a privilege, in their use of Lamont.

As an alternate to the ratio plan, the library officials propose that commuters use the public libraries. While this suggestion shows that the librarians recognize the problem, it is a back door exit from the dilemma. Not only are many of the course texts not available in a public library, but the tuition paid by the commuters entitles them to full use of the College libraries. The librarians have should solution to their problem in the ratio system. By adopting this plan, they can end the nightly nemesis of the 9 o'clock deadline.