House Library Planned For Dudley Commuters

A long struggle waged by Dudley students and officials ended yesterday with the announcement of plans for the establishment of a library for the commuters. It will be located in Apley Court.

The library will perform the functions of a House library and is not intended to be a commuters' substitute for Lamont.

Occupying the second floor of Apley Court, it will consist of four rooms now occupied by tutorial offices. The present offices on that floor will be placed on the fourth floor.

According to plans outlined previously by Charles P. Whitlock, Allston Burr Senior Tutor for Dudley, and Phillip J. McNiff of Lamont Library, the library will be open weekdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Commuters will be able to check out books at 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and earlier on Saturdays.

Commuters have been campaigning for a library for many years, and this present plan was suggested to the school authorities late in 1952. Leading the drive for the library were Whitlock, McNiff, and Dean Delmar Leighton'19.

In addition to the library, Bundy also announced other changes, in Dudley. The small dining hall will be enlarged during the summer, the ping pong room will be improved, and a new game room in the Apley Court basement will be built.

Ralse Student Fees

To help finance these improvements, the present $10 per year fee will be increased to $20 next year for all upperclass commuters. The new plan specifically excludes freshmen from the fee.

By exempting freshmen from the fee, the over-all four year cost to a Dudley man will be $60, compared with the $40 now. House libraries and other game facilities are currently financed from rental fees in the respective Houses.

In the past, commuters had only the facilities of Lamont Library. With the sign-out time at Lamont set at 9 p.m., commuters were often at a serious disadvantage in checking out reserve books.

Lamont officials will supervise the new library, which will be under the immediate supervision of a student librarian. An estimated 470 students will use the library's facilities.

The establishment of the library should solve one of the commuters' more pressing problems. Whtilock has said that of all the commuters' complaints about the College, inferior library facilities was one of the most common.

"I certainly feel this is a step forward in establishing Dudley as an eighth unit. in the House system," Whitlock said last night. "The library will help ensure that Dudley has tutorial advantages similar to those of the other Houses.

"The dining hall will provide enlarged space for eating, and also for dances and other social functions. In addition, it will greatly increase our facilities for inter-House lunches. Previously, we had to limit our inter-House dining when conditions became too crowded.