LIBRARY EDITION \:Y L lflztr E43Aii 1i LIBRARY EDITION LIBRARY DEDICATION ISSUE ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1958 FOVR-PAGES F Building Directed By Mrs. R. Keniston Undergraduate Intellectual Interest Called Object of Service to Campus Off the Undergraduate Library lobby to the right is a small cubi- cal With five white walls and one yellow one: the office of Mrs. Ro- berta Keniston, the librarian. From this office Mrs. Keniston directs the operations of the new library, though this week she has been busy with preparations for today's dedication. All week long calls have come in, the librarian said, saying some item needed for the dedication was considered "equipment", some "construction." Deals. With Students Her real job, Mrs. Keniston explained, is dealing with the stu- dents, faculty and staff. This she enjoys much more. "I've lived in Feature Address By ,U' President Wagman To Accept Undergraduate Facilities in Multi-Purpose Room By JEAN HARTWIG The University's new $3 billion Undergraduate Library will be formally dedicated at 4:15 p.m. today. University President Harlan Hatcher will be the main speaker of the dedication to be held in the library's unique multi-purpose room. Speaking before the group of assembled dignitaries, President Hatcher will officially turn the building over to Frederick Wagman, University libraries director. After an acceptance speech by Dr. Wagman, a reception will be held to conclude the dedication ceremony. During this time as well as all day tomorrow, the build- ing will be open for inspection by the guests, according to Erich A. Book Return Walter, Assistant to the Presi- J 6 Books Take hort ime To Choose' By BARTON HUTHWAITE Selection of the approximately 50,000 books now housed in the new Undergraduate Library re- quired only three years to com- plete. Harvard College accomplished a similar task in 11 years. Approximately $194,000 was appnt in an effort to produce one of the finest undergraduate collec- tions in the country. The actual value cannot be estimated since many contributions came in the form of gifts and transfers from other libraries. Stewart Directs Under the direction of one of the nation's best bibliographers, Rolland C. Stewart, the selecting process began several months be- fore the actual construction on the building. Browsing through hundreds of bookstores in four cities, he searched for the books necessary to complete the collection. One of his greatest finds came here in Ann Arbior. A local book- store owner sold Stewart 1,400 volumes for $1,200. Many books were new and several out of print volumes. Examine Books "We looked over 75,000 books in four days stored-in the basement," Stewart smiled. "During the three years I handled about 400,000 vol- Sumes in the book browsing opera- tions for the new library." Very few significant books in the English language are not con- tained in the Undergraduate Li- brary, he said. Approximately 80 per cent of the books were selected See BOOK, Page 4 4academic communities all my life," Mrs. Keniston said. "I'm very interested in students." . "I've gnly been a librarian since 1951," she said, "having spent a good many years as a housewife and mother." Mrs. Keniston grad- uated from the University of Chi- cago; but worked only five months after graduation before her mar- riage. Husband Named Dean Her husband, Dean-Emeritus Hayward Keniston of the literary school, served on the faculties of the University of California and the University of Chicago before coming here. Dean Keniston was named Chairman of the Romance Languages department in 1940. "When my children were more or less grown," Mrs. Keniston said, "I decided to become a li- brarian." - The Keniston's son, Kenneth is on the faculty of Har- vard University while their daughter Mimi attends high school here in Ann Arbor. Receiving her Master's degree in library science from the Uni- versity, Mrs. Keniston became a librarian in 1951. Worked in Ann Arbor t She served for a short time as head of the fiction room for the Ann Arbor public library. Then she became head reference li- brarian and assistant librarian for Eastern Michigan College. Last July, Mrs. Keniston was hired by the University as under- graduate librarian. . "At present we're finishing up the'tag-ends of the building," she explained. "As far as operation of the library goes, we're all set up." Serve Student Interest The objective of the library as seen by Mrs. Keniston is'to serve the intellectual interests of the students, not necessarily only those involved with academics.. As a former reference librarian herself, Mrs. Keniston is quite en- thusiastic about this aspect of library work. "It's very stimulat- ing and fun," she deblared, "open- ing all kinds of new vistas." / -Daily-Norman Jacobs DEDICATION TODAY-The new Undergraduate Library, housing approximately 50,000 books, will be dedicated at 4:15 p.m. today. The library exceeds any library for undergraduates now in existence in the size and number of its facilities. In the ceremony this afternoon, University President Harlan Hatcher will turn the library over to Frederick Wagman, director of libraries. Although not officially opened until today, the library has been in use since January. Stays Open, Later Hours Because of a strong need ex- pressed by the student body for longer hours, the new Undergrad- uate Library is open until mid- night according to Mrs. Roberta Keniston, librarian. A constant tabulation which is being taken for the first few weeks of school shows the number of students entering and leaving the library after 10 a.m. Between 200 and 350 students enter the library after 10 a.m. and a thousand to seventeen hundred leave the building between 10 a.m. and noon. Since the library is air-condi- tioned, thus increasing its popu- larity, the same hours will prob- ably be kept during the summer. For the 10 months of the year the library is kept open the two extra hours six days a week, the expenses increase. Although the cost of heat is the same, electricity is increasingly higher. The student lounge, which serves coffee and soft drinks, is the new library's added attraction and is open from 9 a.m. to noon, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Library Called World's Biggest Today the University will dedi- cate the largest separate Under- graduate Library in the world. Over four years of intensive planning and more than $3 million of state funds have gone into the new structure, making it the most unique of its kind. In 1954 the University library staff, the University architectural staff and an advisory committee of University officials with Prof. Frederick Wagman, Director of University Libraries, chairman, made the initial plans for the new library. Kahn Is Architect ..Final architectural plans were drawn up by Albert Kahn Associ- ated Architects and Engineers, the same company that planned the General Library, Hill Auditorium, the natural science building and the University hospital. Funds were then appropriated from the State Legislature, ac- cording to Prof. Wagman. Actual construction began in 1956, when the Sponce Brothers Company of Saginaw was engaged as the' general contractor. Origi- nally scheduled to open sometime in September, 1957, construction was held back due to a national strike of cement workers. On Jan. 16, the Undergraduate Library was formally opened by President Harlan Hatcher. Under the direction of Roberta C. Keni- ston, Undergraduate Librarian, the library had 50,000 new books ready for circulation. The job of cataloguing the new books was done by the library staff, according to Prof. Wagman. The University Plant Department' transferred the books from the former Engineering, Education and Transportation collections to SCHEDULE OF EVENTS FOR THE DEDICATION OF UNDERGRADUATE LIBRARY P.M. 4:15 Formal Dedication Cere- mony of Undergraduate Library Multi - Purpose, Room ,Undergraduate Li- brary. Speakers: Harlan Hatcher, Fredrick Wag- man. 5:00 Reception, Informal Tours Multi-Purpose Room 6:00 Dinner, Michigan Union Speakers: Harlan Hatch- er, Maynard Goldman their temporary place in the new building. This transfer was accomplished by the use of "tote" boxes and took place during semesters, Prof. Wagman said. All reserve books, which eventually will be housed by the library, are not moved yet. The library staff is still receiving lists of new reserve books. Features Audio Room The unusually large audio and individual film-viewing facilities are special features which make the Undergraduate Library unique, according to Prof. Wagman. Re- serve books on open shelves are alqso unusual for an undergrat4u- ate library, he said." The University Library is the second separate Undergraduate Library in the country. The first, the Lamont Library at Harvard University, was dedicated in 1949. The library, with its air-condi- tioning and color combinations, is scientifically 'planned for the max- mum studying efficiency. At the date of its dedication, almost all facilities are complete. More pieces of audio equipment are still ex- pected and the exhibit cases have to be set up, according to Prof. Wagman. Len . Hold Dinner In the evening a dinner will be held in the Union to celebrate the dedication of the library, the library of its kind in the coun- largest separate Undergraduate try, according to Wagman. During the banquet President Hatcher will speck on the admin- istrative view of the new Univer- sity facility. The title of his ad- dress will, be "The Hidden Sun." Maynard Goldman, - '59, the Administrative Vice-President of the Student Government Council has been chosen by the Council to speak on behalf of the student body, according to Prof. Walter. Speaking on the subject, "What the Undergraduate Library Means to a 'Student," Goldman will end the evening's program. Issue Invitations Invitations for the dedication ceremony have been issued to of- ficials and librarians of the na- tion. The invitation list includes several prominent state legisla- tors, the University Board of Re- gents, librarians from the col- leges, universities and public li- braries of the state and partici- pants in a special conference of the Undergraduate and Lifetime Reading Habit Committee. The mayor of Ann Arbor, Prof. Samuel Eldersveld, of the politi- cal science department, as well as members of the University's Dean's Conference, certain Uni- versity Library Committees, the University 'Library Science Fac- ulty and the chairmen of the de- partments of the literary college are also included on the guest list. Among the 200 officials invited to participate in the ceremonies will alsobe the chairmen of the University Library Department and Divisional Libraries, certain University' staff members, offi- cials of the Albert Kohn Architec- ture Corporation, which designed the building. Plan Easier -Ke-niston By BROOKE TOMPKINS "After working in a library know how much nuisance it makes when people don't get their books back on time," Mrs. Roberta Ke'n- iston,, librarian of , the Under- graduate Library commented. The new library makes it easy -or at least easier-for students to return books, she said. "Until'a few years ago it was never possible to return books to libraries except at their main charging desks." Now libraries are installing outside book - return chutes and other innovations which "makes it a little more con- venient to return the books." Has Return Chutes The Undergraduate Library has eight outside return chutes, placed in pairs at four locations around the building. Books fall down these chutes into another new gadget,-the de- pressable-bottom book truck. This invention, which has only recently come into use by libraries, is a spring -bottomed cart whick catches the books as they drop into the chute. The books weigh it down just enough so there is. always room on top for the next ones. The great advantage in the "DBBT" is that the books don't drop very far before hitting the top of the stack. Fall To Truck Before, books dropped into re- turn 'chutes had an "Alice-in-- Wonderland fall to the bottom of a truck, and then piled up on each other." "Books are delicate things," Mrs. Keniston explained, "and it didn't See KENISTON, Page 2 ibrary Includes Many Unusual Rooms, S ervices By BRUCE COLE Many unique features can be found in the new Undergraduate Library, and these unusual features help to make the Library a pleasant place in which to work and relax. The west side of the fourth floor houses the print study gallery. Students can go to this gallery, known as the fine arts study hall, to view and study photographs and color prints which have previously been seen as slides in the introductory fine arts courses. After the slide is shown in the classes, the photograph is hung in the gallery. Right now there are works of Classic, Mid-European and American art on display. There are group study rooms on each floor. These rooms cater to those people who desire to study together. Talking is permitted in these rooms. For those people who do not like the smell of tobacco when they study, non-smoking study rooms are available on every floor except the fourth. Typing rooms have been established where students may rent typewriters for 30 minutes for ten cents. Students can also bring their own typewriters if they so desire. Recordax machines have been put in some of the typing rooms. Telephones are available on every floor near the northwest corner, and there are lounge areas for quiet study at the far end of each floor. There is also a multi-purpose room which is used for meetings. A lost and found department is located at the Circulation Desk on the main floor. Inquiries concerning articles lost in the library ., , . ,..:.; :r -" .. ;>. :t;;::::;::.": :> a: :i£;C is ":ytt;:;: ":,;{,;"";}r,: i: x:?":::?;>"t;:: -,:s: :>:t ::