TWO
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
TWO THE MICHIGAN DAILY
COLLECTION, REFERENCE:
Transportation Library Has Two Aims
A unique division of the Univer.
sity- of Michigan library system isl
the Transportation Library, oc-
cupying the east wing of the
Undergraduate Library fourth'
floor.
Recognized as having one of
the richest collections of trans-
portation material in the world,
the library is utilized by students,
researchers and hobbyists.
Thus, the dual-purpose of the
library "is to be a treasure house
in which can be accumulated the
literature of the subject, and as
complete a reference and research
library as can be gathered," ac-
cording to Donal Haines. He is
the author of "The Transportation
Library?" It should serve the ac-
tive fields of the professionas well
as the graduate and unlergraduate
bodies, he said.
Having recently expanded its
facilities by a move from the first
floor of the East Engineering
building to the new library, the
more than 120,000 volumes are in.
the process of being reorganized
and recatalogued to fit the new,
modern setup by the University
catalogue department, Leo Natan-
son, Divisional Librarian, remark-
ed. Although housed in the same
building, the Transportation Li-
brary is a separate unit from the
Undergraduate Library.
-Daily-Norman Jacobs
CHANGE LOCATIONS-The Undergraduate Library Includes the
Engineering and Transportation Libraries on the third and fourth
floors. The librarians report that use of libraries is much greater
than when they were housed elsewhere.
Material Available
Many students are not aware of
the facilities of the Transportation
Library, or even that it exists,
ktatanson noted. Yet, the "tremen-
dous" wealth of material covers
the history of transportation in
Canada, England, France and
other countries, he said, as well
as the United States.
Utilizing the resources of this
Audio Room
Plans Opening
Next Month
By THOMAS HAYDEN
University students will be able
to combine the business of studies
with the pleasures of classical
music when the Undergraduate
Library opens its $56,000 audio
listening room in March.
The room, located on the li-
brary's second floor, will allowstu-
dents to listen to recordings either
on one of 72 turntables, or by a,
special "channelling" system.
According to Mrs. Roberta Ken-
iston, librarian, the set - up is
unique "in terms of facilities,
number of people that can be ac-
comodated, and quality of high-
fidelity."
Listen For Pleasure, Study
The system, Mrs. Keniston says,
will enable students to hear music
simply for pleasure, or for pur-
poses of study.
The Library will open with ap-
proximately 1,400 records "to be-
gin with," Mrs. Keniston said.
When a person wishes to hear a
record, he will follow ordinary
library procedure, by "signing it
out," she said. Records cannot be
taken from the building, but are
to be used only in the audio room.
Plays, Poetry Stocked
In addition to standard classical
recordings, "we will also stock
various literary compositions"-
including plays, both in English
and in foreign languages, and
readings by poets, she added. "We
will also schedule an occasional
recorded concert."
Mrs. Keniston explained that
these "special works" would be
taped or "channelled" into the
listener's earphones from turn-
tables or tapes located in the cen-
tral control room. "Thus," she
said, "a student can listen to an
assignment merely by pressing the
selector switch."
She indicated that music litera-
ture students would benefit since
their listening assignments will
often be "channelled."
Not For Languages
She carefully explained that the
audio room is not designed as a
replacement to the language labo-
ratory in Mason Hall. "Their pro-
gram is used primarily to develop
language skills," she pointed out,
"while any recorded assignments
which we stock will be more or less
of classical value."
However, she said, the opening
of the audio room will signal the
close of the listening room in the
basement of Mason Hall, formerly
used by music literattire students.
The recording program was
originally scheduled for simul-
taneous completion with the rest
of the library. However, the room
will not be ready for use until
sometime in March, since "the hi-
fidelity equipment is being cus-
tom-made according to rigorous
specifications" outlined by' sound
engineers, Mrs. Keniston said.
library and those of the Engineer-
ing Library, it is possible to trace
the cycle of a particular mode of
transportation from its origin to
the present.
Although primarily utilized by
transportation engineering stu-
dents and researchers of the Uni-
versity Transportation Institute
under the direction of Prof. John
C. Kohl, it offers complete collec-
tions on United States railroads,
inland waterways, and highways.
Students delving into the fields of
civil engineering, economics, geog-
raphy, urban planning and traffic
management all use the Library's
information.,
Varied Collection
The collection of data is com-
prised of text and reference books,
government documents, periodicals
and administrative and engineer-
ing reports. Supplementing these
are the correspondence and per-
sonal papers of men directly con-
cerned with the field.
An important collection of
manuscripts help by the library
are those of Charles Ellet, Jr., a
prominent engineer of the nine-
teenth century. His a personal
papers cover a long period in the
development of the transportation
and economic life of the United
States. '
Own Evans Notes
The library also has possession
of the notes of the American
inventor and engineer, Oliver
Evans, who wrote on the probable
nature of the coming railroad late
in the eighteenth century.
. Subjects of such national inter-
est as the surveys and opening of
the Pacific and other transconti-
nental railways, and of important
-though shorter-railways, canal
and road systems are also repre-
sented.
There is much material, both
pictorial and descriptive, on sail-
ing vessels, steamboats and air-
planes. Outstanding prints by such
Keniston Says
Returns Easy
(Continued from Page 1)
do them any good to slide down
a chute and then just bang."
As far as when the students
have to return these books, there
are still two different categories:
the regular two-week issues and
the reserve books which circulate
overnight.
Due At 9 a.m.
Reserve books are taken out at
9 p.m. during week nights, and are
due at 9 a.m. the next morning.
Over weekends they may be taken
out any time from 10:30 a.m. Sat-
urday and don't have to be re-
turned until Monday morning.
"Reserve books get priority at
all times, and are probably back
on the shelves within 20 minutes
from the time they are returned
to the library," she said.
"We know these are the books
that students usually are most
anxious to get."
All returned books are reshelved
every hour, and more often be-
tween 9 and 10 in the morning
when the reserves come back in.
Turn In Call Slip
If a book is out, the student
looking for it can find out when
it is due at the desk and turn in
a call slip at the desk asking that
the returned book be held for him.
The library will then notify him
when the book comes back.
artists as Bingham, Pennell, Dau-
mier and Kuhler can be found,
including the only extensive col-
lection of Currier and Ives litho-
graphs at the University.
Contains All Phases
The collection of material on all
phases of transportation was be-
gun in 1923 by Prof. John S. Wor-
ley of the engineering department.
Prof. Worley was dissatisfied with
the treatment of transportation in
all the other libraries in the coun-
try, 'Natanson said. He began the
collection with money of his own,
and eventually other financial sup-
port was given him.
En gin Library
Use Triples,
Harrell Says
By MARGARET MOORE
"The number of students and
faculty members using the Engi-
neering Library facilities has more
than tripled since the move into
the new -Undergraduate Library,"
Divisional Librarian F. Ridlen
Harrell commented.
Located on the third floor, the
library includes 150,000 volumes
on engineering and related fields
and a 100,000 volume Trarisporta-
tion Library. It is among the five
largest engineering libraries in the
country.
The books were brought to their
new location from the East and
West Engineering Libraries and
three storage areas. They include
every published work on the sub-
ject of engineering and books
recommended by faculty members
on mathematics, physics, chemis-
try and economics.
Sets Requirements
The Engineering Council for Pro-
fessional Development examines
engineering colleges throughout
the country and sets up standards
which the University is required
to' meet, Harrell explained.
As a result of natural library
growth, many of these books have
been stored away for the last ten
years with only 24-hour service.
Now with open shelves and study
space, many more students are
using books at tables instead of
checking' them out, which facili-
tates the work of the staff. ;
Use Conference Rooms
"Conference rooms are in con-
stant demand," Harrell continued,
"and the typing rooms are especi-
ally busy."
Besides this Engineering Library,
the University 'Library operates
the Phoenix Engineering Library;
on atomic energy at North Cam-
pus. This branch contains pri-
marily reports of the Atomic En-
ergy Commission which can also
be obtained on request through
the Engineering Library in the,
Undergraduate Library building.
Rare Books
Not Purpose
of Library
The new Undergraduate Library
is, Mrs. Roberta Keniston, Under-
graduate Librarian explained, "a
library to be used."
This is the reason for the ab-
sence of a rare book room.
The best way to develop interest
in books in to make them available
to the students, she said. A rare
book, by the very nature of its
being, cannot simply be left out
in the open stacks, but must be
safeguarded.
Rare books are of different
types, Mrs. Keniston said, naming
very old books, those autographed
by the author, first editions, limit-
ed editions, books with special
bindings and those which have
belonged to famous persons who
have written in them or put notes
in the margins.
Tooled in Gold
Bookbinding, she continued, can
be an art in itself. The French
especially have bound books in
beautifully colored leather, with
hand tooling in gold.
In the United States, books are
not usually published in special
bindings, except occasionally for
some very wealthy people who
have them made to order and
sometimes donate them to univer-
sities where they are locked away
in rare book rooms.
There is a very excellent rare
book room in the General Library,
but if there were such books in the
Undergraduate Library they would
have to be shut away. This would
be against the library's policy of
making all books available to the
student.
Rare Books Not A Part
The new library. is a working
collection, Mrs. Keniston pointed
out. Rare books are not a part of
it because they cannot be handled.
However, she added, the library
does contain some very precious
books, some of which, although
they are by and large modern
books, are very old and out of
print.
These had to be obtained
through second-hand booksellers,
and are very difficult to get hold
of, but are stillkept on the open
shelves.
There are also some very beauti-
fully illustrated books, for the
most part, art books, kept on the
second floor.
Many Put Them Away
Mrs. Keniston commented that
many librarians would consider
these books to be rare books, and
keep them put away. Here, the
policy is very liberal.
The best way to learn about a
subject such as art, she said, is
to be able to see and examine the
pictures. It is assumed that the
students will be careful and not
abuse the books.
The library believes that if stu-
dents have an opportunity to take
home a beautiful book they will
treat it as their own.
Angell. Hall
Study Closes
Temporarily
With the completion of the Un-
dergraduate Library and its better
study facilities, the Angell Hall
Study Hall has been closed.
Before the new slibrary was
opened, the study hall served not
only as a place of study but as a
sort of library; books on various
subjects such as philosophy and
mathematics were available on re-
serve.
These 'books have now been
moved to the new library.
The study hall will be converted
into offices for freshman and
sophomore counselors, according
to Dean Burton D. Thuma of the
literary college. The counselors
are very crowded now in their
present office.
The revamping of the study hall
is hoped to be done this semester,
Dean Thuma said, but funds are
not available at the present. As
soon as they are available, the
change will take place.
By JAMES SEDER
"A book out of place is a book
lost," says one of the training
manuals for the part-time, under-
graduate personnel of Under-
graduate Library.
On the operational level, the
responsibility that the stacks are
in good order and that many other
seemingly minute, but actually
very important, operations are
carried out speedily and accurately
rest with the part-time staff.
Thus, one of the biggest jobs
connected with the opening of the
library was the training of the
staff. According to Mrs. Roberta
Keniston, librarian, "The smooth
operation of the library, especially
in the first few days is largely due
to the fine job done by the part-
time, undergraduate staff."
Divide Staff
This part of the staff was divid-
ed into two groups. One of these
groups was trained to work at the
various charge - out desks. The
other group was trained to work
in two areas, the control desks at
the exits and to work in the stacks.
'Coffee Club'
Lounge Earns
MIost Applause'
Earning more student applause
than any other innovation in the
new Undergraduate Library, is the
lounge, a colorful room which
offers a welcome diversion from
studying in the form of a coffee
club atmosphere.
The idea of putting a lounge in
the basement of the library was
originated when plans for the
building were first drawn up.
"Realizing that the library would
be used by students for studying
over long periods of time, it was
thought, that a place was needed
where they could take a few min-
utes off from their books and re-
lax," said Mrs. Roberta Keniston,
Undergraduate Librarian.
Cigarettes and various hot and
cold beverages are sold by ma-
chines maintained and serviced by
the Michigan League. According
to Wilma Steketee, Business Man-
ager of the League, over 900 drinks
were sold per day the first 10 days
of operation. She noted that this
may be somewhat above normal,
due to the fact that during exam
period student appetites seem to
increase.
Library officials fear that the
very popularity of the lounge may
be its downfall.
One aspect of the training is
common to both groups,. This is
that both groups must learn the
Library of Congress filing system,
which is the system used at the
University.
Because this type of library must
operate under the theory that "A
book out of place is a book lost,"
all books that are used in the li-
brary as well as returned books
must be returned to the stacks
by a member of the staff. These
people must be fast-as well as ac-
curate. So it is not surprising that
training program had to be de-
signed to familiarize these people
with stack procedure.
Master Shelf-Reading
In line with this is another pro-
cedure which the people operating
in this area must master-this is
shelf-reading. A continuous activ-
ity at the library is the checking of
the stacks to make sure that all
books are in there proper place.
Each book is checked once every
two days.
The person who sits at the con-
trol desks at the exits does not
have quite as simple a job as it
looks to a layman. Actually there
is a rather specific procedure
which hem ust follow. Not the
least of his problems is being tact-
ful, but firm about inspecting all
books which leave the library.
Have Other Tasks
These people also have several
other tasks including emptying the
return book depositories at specific
times and being of assistance to
the users of the library.
The "Charge-out Desk Manual"
is a 21 page document which, ac-
cording to Mrs. Keniston, is "quite
technical." Even minor details.are
given consideration in this manual.
For example, the first five pages.
deal with subjects ranging from
charge-out desk hours to how to
deal with various types of in-
quiries.
Again, to the layman, this de-
tailed instruction might appear to
be a little unnecessary. But there
is a six-fold procedure which must
be followed if this operation is to
be smooth and'efficient.
Charge Books
It takes, for example, four pages
to ennumerate the various pro-
cedures connected with charging
out a book and then returning the
books to the shelves. This is one
of the more technical procedures
to which Mrs. Keniston referred.
Judging from the system that is
used to handle overdue books, it
would appear to be wise to make
an effort to return books on time.
This operation is a nine-fold one,,
and each step is fairly elaborate
all of which must be completely
assimiliated by the staff.
-Daly-Norman Jacobs
INTENSIVE TRAINING--To keep the Undergraduate Library
running smoothly, the library must rely on an efficient, well-
trained staff of students. The student workers must learn and
know the procedures for handling and shelving books thoroughly.
'S
I
INTENSIVE TRAINING:
Part-Time Help Has Important Tasks
The circulation file is only one
of six files that the charge-out
desk staff must learn to use. The
six files are the Daily Circulation,
Two-Week Circulation, Reserves,
Dead Charge, Overdue Fines and
Being Helds files.
Since these files are constantly
kept up to date, the staff must
have thorough and accurate
knowledge of them all.
In addition to these procedures,
the personnel must follow a daily
routine. On Mondays, for example,
there are instructions as to what
to do before 8 a.m., at 8 a.m., at
10:45 a.m., atf3:45 p.m., at 8 p.m.,
at 9 p.m., and at 10 p.m.
There are equally detailed In-
structions for every other day of
the week, including Sunday.
We congratulate
the University of Michigan on
0w
the Opening of the Beautiful
New Undergraduate Library
SiEe Coffee Machine Service, Inc.,
298 Jarvis Street - Ypsilanti, Michigan
HUnter 3-1924
1
I
*
fihe new undergraduate library truly ful-
fills the needs of the students of the University
of Michigan in their endeavor to attain higher
academic goals.
We have been proud to provide the elec-
trical installation in this outstanding new un-
der graduate library.
SHAW ELECTRIC CO.
V
,:
IT .1
Once
again
IRWIN-REAUME CO.
643"5 JOHN C. LODGE
DETROIT 2, MICHIGAN
it is our privilege
to contribute
to the expansion
of the University
of Michigan.