Library Hours Decision Needs More Thought

To the editors:

The decision of the Harvard College Library not to immediately implement plans to extend the hours of Lamont Library (News, “Libraries Reject Later Hours,” Mar. 11) was a decision carefully considered in the midst of many ongoing projects. Unfortunately, the Undergraduate Council’s actions on this matter have not shown the same degree of careful thought and research. The council made its decisions regarding extension of hours at Lamont library in a complete vacuum, neither actively soliciting the opinion of the student body, nor expressing interest in conferring with the representatives it elected to the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Standing Committee on the Library. The “research” cited in the council’s own report on the matter is minuscule compared with the outlay of funds and reorganization of services required to extend operating hours. An outlay of funds that is, incidentally, considerably more substantial than the so-called “overly expensive packets” Rohit Chopra ’04 criticizes the library for sending to first-year students! The Harvard community, however, can rest assured that the FAS Standing Committee—and not just its student members—takes student use of the libraries very seriously, and after much discussion is currently researching a much more thorough report concerning undergraduate use of the libraries—a report far more likely to convince the central administration to give additional funds than the Student Affairs Committee marching into FAS Dean Jeremy R. Knowles’ office armed with little else but the strength of their own convictions.

Chopra would do well to listen to students, committee members and administrators, synthesize the facts and listen to alternatives, rather than blindly criticizing the hard working members of the library administration.

Samuel H. Lipoff ’04

March 11, 2002

The writer is a member of the FAS Standing Committee on the Library.