Students Crowd Lamont Book Sale As Officials Study Mysterious Odor

Despite the mysterious odor that has plagued Lamont Library for some time, students were eagerly crowding the Library for the book sale yesterday. But concerned Library officials have already taken steps to investigate the smell.

In an effort to find the smell's origin, the Department of Buildings and Grounds recently completed a study of Lamont's ventilation system. Results of the investigation were sent yesterday in a letter to John J. Gallen, Senior Assistant in the Lamont Library.

The odor originally came to the attention of Library officials because of a Student Council committee report which proposed that the filtering of the air in the library should be improved to clear the musty atmosphere. Library officials were "very sympathetic." Thomas E. Petri '62 observed, and contacted the Department of Buildings and Grounds for an immediate study on the Library's air flow.

Meets Industry Standards

Although James Devaney, Assistant Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, who sent the results to Gallen, would not disclose the results of the study, he did say that the Library's present ventilation system met all industry standards.

Rain, Heat Are Factors

According to Petri, the odor is most noticeable on wet, rainy days, and is especially bad on the top floors, where heat rises. Smoke from cigarettes is not a factor in the smell, he said, but bare feet are a possible cause.

The Council committee, which is now looking for possible solutions to the problem, may consider ozone machines, which are used in bakeries to clear the air, Petri remarked. But they will consider other suggestions as well, before taking any definite action.

Also included in the Council committee's report on libraries was a proposal to lengthen hours in Widener from 10 till 12 o'clock at night. Reactions to this proposal were generally unfavorable, however, Petri noted, because officials in Widener had stated that no extra people could be found to staff the library for the two extra hours.