Librarian Claims Gross Understaffing

The librarian of Harvard College said yesterday that the Afro-American Studies library has been inoperable this year because the Afro-American Studies Department has failed to provide staff to keep it functioning.

Ewart Guinier '33, the chairman of the Department, yesterday declined to comment on the assertion.

Louis Martin, the librarian of Harvard College, quoted from a memorandum submitted to him by Theodore Alevizos, associate University librarian for public services, which stated that the library has been closed because of the "inability of the Afro-American Studies Department to hire enough concentrators to meet in its schedule."

Martin said that the Afro-American Studies Department had the responsibility to provide staff for the library.

Because of the number of different costs involved, Martin could offer no figure as to how much money Harvard has paid to set up and maintain the library.

"To figure out how much Harvard pays I would have to determine what we paid to buy books, to catalogue and maintain them. I couldn't even make a guess what the final cost would be," Martin said.

The Afro-American Studies library is located on the fourth floor of Lamont Library.

Martin said that Alevizos had been working all fall to try and get the library opened.