College and Research Libraries B y L E S L E Y M . H E A T H C O T E Function and Color: Montana State College Library Miss Heathcote is librarian, Montana State College. IN 1 9 4 7 t h e M o n t a n a S t a t e L e g i s l a t u r e h a d a p o s t w a r b u i l d i n g f u n d t o d i v i d e a m o n g t h e s i x u n i t s of i t s h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n a l s y s t e m , a n d t h e S t a t e C o l l e g e w a s a l l o t t e d $ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 f o r t h e e r e c t i o n of a l i b r a r y b u i l d - i n g . T h e l i b r a r y w a s t h e n h o u s e d o n t h e s e c o n d floor of t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n b u i l d i n g i n q u a r t e r s t h a t w e r e d a r k , d i r t y , i n a d e - q u a t e a n d t h o r o u g h l y d e p r e s s i n g . E v e n t h o u g h t h e t r e n d of p r i c e s a t t h a t t i m e m a d e $ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 l o o k p r e t t y s m a l l , a n d g r o w - i n g s m a l l e r a l l t h e t i m e , t h e p r o s p e c t of a n y k i n d of b u i l d i n g s e e m e d a l m o s t t o o g o o d t o b e t r u e . E a c h t i m e J o h n P a u l J o n e s , t h e c o n s u l t - i n g a r c h i t e c t f r o m S e a t t l e , b r o u g h t t h e p l a n s o v e r t o B o z e m a n , t h e b u i l d i n g w a s a l i t t l e s m a l l e r . O n e d a y t h e l i b r a r i a n , t h e n M r s . L o i s P a y s o n , r e m a r k e d t o h i m t h a t h e m u s t f e e l l i k e o n e of t h o s e p r i m i t i v e t r i b e s t h a t s h r i n k s t h e h e a d s of i t s v i c t i m s . " Y e s , " s a i d h e , " a n d y o u m u s t f e e l l i k e t h e h e a d . " M r s . P a y s o n r e s i g n e d i n J u n e 1 9 4 7 a n d t h e p r e s e n t l i b r a r i a n c a r r i e d o n f r o m t h e r e . I t s o o n b e c a m e o b v i o u s t h a t w e d i d n o t h a v e t h e m o n e y f o r a c o m p l e t e b u i l d i n g , u n l e s s w e w e r e w i l l i n g t o a c c e p t o n e t h a t w o u l d b e i n a d e q u a t e i n e v e r y w a y r i g h t f r o m t h e d a y w e m o v e d i n . T h e p l a n s c a l l e d f o r a n L - s h a p e d , m o d u l a r t y p e b u i l d - i n g , t h e s t e m of t h e L t o c o n t a i n t h e w o r k q u a r t e r s , s t a f f r o o m s a n d m o s t of t h e s t a c k s , a n d t h e f o o t of t h e L t o b e t h e m a i n r e a d - i n g r o o m . O n e of t h e t r a d i t i o n s t h a t d i e s h a r d , e s p e c i a l l y w i t h l i b r a r y c o m m i t t e e s , is t h e i d e a of a l a r g e , l o f t y m o n u m e n t a l m a i n r e a d i n g r o o m . H a v i n g s p e n t m a n y y e a r s of m y l i f e i n t h a t l i b r a r i a n s ' n i g h t m a r e , t h e U n i v e r s i t y of W a s h i n g t o n L i b r a r y , I w a s d e t e r m i n e d a g a i n s t a n y t h i n g e v e n v a g u e l y r e s e m b l i n g i t . W e w e n t r o u n d a n d r o u n d o n t h e r e a d i n g r o o m f o r a w h i l e b u t a s m a t - t e r s t u r n e d o u t , n o d e c i s i o n h a d t o be m a d e a t t h a t t i m e . W e d e c i d e d o n t h e s t e m of t h e L o n l y , w i t h t h e h o p e t h a t s o m e d a y M o n t a n a w o u l d f i n d t h e m o n e y t o f i n i s h t h e b u i l d i n g . G r o u n d w a s b r o k e n i n S e p t e m b e r 1 9 4 8 a n d i n s p i t e of t h e s e v e r e w i n t e r w h i c h c l o s e d d o w n w o r k f o r o v e r t w o m o n t h s , w e w e r e a b l e t o m o v e i n d u r i n g t h e C h r i s t - m a s r e c e s s of 1 9 4 9 . N i n e w o r k i n g d a y s s a w t h e m o v e c o m p l e t e d a n d . w e o p e n e d u p f o r b u s i n e s s in o u r n e w q u a r t e r s o n J a n . 9 , 1 9 5 0 . A s a l l o u r f u r n i t u r e h a d n o t y e t a r r i v e d , w e m a d e s h i f t w i t h w h a t w e h a d f o r a w h i l e . T h e b u i l d i n g m e a s u r e s 6 7 ' 1 " b y 1 3 2 ' 7 " a n d h a s a t o t a l a r e a of 8 8 9 4 s q u a r e f e e t . I t is b u i l t of c o n c r e t e w i t h b r i c k f a c i n g . I t s o u t s i d e m o r e o r less m a t c h e s s o m e of t h e o t h e r a r c h i t e c t u r e o n t h e c a m p u s , a n d is n o t e s p e c i a l l y i n s p i r i n g t o l o o k a t . W e l i b r a r - i a n s h a d n o t h i n g t o s a y a b o u t t h a t a n d in a n y c a s e w e w e r e m o r e i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e i n s i d e . T h e b u i l d i n g f a c e s n o r t h , w h i c h is n o t t h e b e s t a s p e c t f o r t h i s c l i m a t e b u t so f a r w e h a v e n o t h a d t r o u b l e . R a d i a n t h e a t i n g u n d e r t h e f r o n t p o r c h w o u l d p r o b - a b l y h a v e b e e n h e l p f u l b u t w e u s e r u b b e r m a t t i n g i n s t e a d t o o v e r c o m e t h e s l i p p e r i n e s s i n f r o s t y w e a t h e r . T h e c o s t of t h e b u i l d i n g 230 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES w a s a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 3 7 0 , 0 0 0 o r 9O0 a c u b i c f o o t a n d t h e s t a c k s , f u r n i t u r e a n d e q u i p m e n t c o s t a n a d d i t i o n a l $ 9 0 , 0 0 0 . O u r s is a n o p e n - s t a c k l i b r a r y , b u t t h e b u i l d i n g a r r a n g e m e n t is s u c h t h a t t h e s t a c k s c o u l d e a s i l y be c l o s e d . W e d o n o t c o n t e m - p l a t e d o i n g t h i s in t h e f o r e s e e a b l e f u t u r e , h o w e v e r , f o r o u r s t u d e n t s n e e d t h e easy access t o b o o k s t h a t w e n o w g i v e . M a n y of t h e m c o m e f r o m c o m m u n i t i e s w i t h o u t l i b r a r i e s a n d h o m e s w i t h o u t b o o k s a n d w e t h i n k t h a t t h e i r c o l l e g e l i b r a r y s h o u l d be as o p e n a n d as easy t o u s e as p o s s i b l e . I n t h e b a s e m e n t w e h a v e t h e r e s t r i c t e d s t a c k s , w h i c h a r e n o t o p e n t o s t u d e n t use, a n d w h i c h c o n t a i n m o s t of o u r g o v e r n m e n t d o c u m e n t s , t h e e a r l y v o l u m e s of o u r g e n - e r a l p e r i o d i c a l s a n d o u r n e w s p a p e r s . T w e n t y - e i g h t c a r r e l l s f o r t h e u s e of g r a d - u a t e s t u d e n t s a r e h o u s e d h e r e a l s o . A t o n e e n d a n a r e a is b l o c k e d off f o r s t o r a g e of o u r A g r i c u l t u r a l E x p e r i m e n t S t a t i o n p u b l i - c a t i o n s . A d o o r w h i c h is k e p t l o c k e d l e a d s i n t o t h e l o w e r h a l l w h e r e t h e m a c h i n e r y r o o m a n d t h e p u b l i c r e s t r o o m s a r e s i t u a t e d . T h e l a t t e r a r e w i t h i n a f e w s t e p s of t h e f r o n t d o o r . T h e m a i n floor c o n t a i n s t h e s t a f f o f - fices, b e g i n n i n g in t h e n o r t h e a s t c o r n e r w i t h t h e l i b r a r i a n ' s s u i t e a n d e x t e n d i n g a l o n g t h e e a s t s i d e of t h e b u i l d i n g . T h e c i r c u l a t i o n d e s k is f a c i n g y o u as y o u e n t e r t h e f r o n t d o o r , a n d t o t h e r i g h t is t h e g e n e r a l r e f e r - e n c e a r e a . A t t h e s o u t h e n d a r e a s t a c k a r e a a n d a r e a d i n g r o o m . T h e s e c o n d floor c o n t a i n s a s m a l l s t a c k a r e a h o u s i n g t h e g e n e r a l b o o k s in o u r spe- c i a l f i e l d s , b u t it is m o s t l y r e a d i n g r o o m , a n d t h e t e c h n i c a l r e f e r e n c e b o o k s in t h e s e s a m e f i e l d s of e n g i n e e r i n g , a g r i c u l t u r e a n d h o m e e c o n o m i c s a r e s h e l v e d h e r e . I n a d d i t i o n t h e r e is a s m a l l r a r e b o o k r o o m a n d t w o c o n f e r e n c e r o o m s w h i c h c a n be m a d e i n t o o n e b y r o l l i n g b a c k a f o l d i n g p l a s t i c c u r t a i n . O n e of t h e r o o m s d o e s d u t y as a p u b l i c t y p i n g r o o m a l s o . O n t h i s floor t h e r e is a l s o a b r o w s i n g a r e a w i t h easy c h a i r s w h e r e b u l l e t i n b o a r d s a n d d i s p l a y cases s h o w o u r w a r e s . I n a l l p a r t s of t h e b u i l d i n g e x c e p t t h e t h i r d floor, l a r g e , s t e e l - f r a m e d w i n d o w s o f f e r f i n e v i e w s of o u r b e a u t i f u l m o u n t a i n s a n d v a l l e y . B u t t h e t h i r d floor h a s n o w i n d o w s . I t w a s o r i g i n a l l y i n t e n d e d f o r s t o r a g e p u r p o s e s o n l y , b u t w h e n it w a s de- c i d e d t h a t w e c o u l d h a v e o n l y o n e w i n g of t h e b u i l d i n g , it w a s o b v i o u s t h a t t h i s a r e a w o u l d h a v e t o h e l p h o u s e o u r r e g u l a r col- l e c t i o n . A f e w t a b l e s a n d c h a i r s b r o u g h t f r o m t h e o l d q u a r t e r s m a k e it p o s s i b l e f o r s t u d e n t s t o s t u d y u p t h e r e . I n a l l , w e c a n s e a t close t o 4 0 0 of o u r n o r m a l s t u d e n t b o d y of 3 0 0 0 . M o s t of t h e b u i l d i n g is p r o v i d e d w i t h a c o u s t i c a l t i l e c e i l i n g s . T h e r e a d i n g r o o m l i g h t s a r e G . E . s l i m l i n e fluorescents w i t h i n c a n d e s c e n t s u s e d in t h e s t a c k a r e a s . T h e floors a r e c o v e r e d w i t h 1 / 8 " l i n o l e u m in a g r e y m a r b l e d e f f e c t w i t h t o u c h e s of s a l m o n p i n k in i t . F u l l u s e h a s b e e n m a d e of c o l o r t h r o u g h o u t t h e b u i l d i n g , i n c l u d i n g c o r a l , . v a r i o u s s h a d e s of g r e e n , c h a r t r e u s e , p a l e l a v e n d e r a n d y e l l o w . T h e f u r n i t u r e is R e m i n g t o n R a n d T r e n d in w h i t e o a k f i n - i s h e d in s i l v e r g r e y a n d t h e s t a c k s a r e g r e y . T h e V e n e t i a n b l i n d s , v e r y n e c e s s a r y in o u r s u n n y c l i m a t e , a r e s i l v e r g r e y a l u m i n u m . O u r M o n t a n a s t u d e n t s a r e n o t in g e n e r a l v e r y m u c h a c c u s t o m e d t o l i b r a r i e s , a n d t h o s e t h a t t h e y d o k n o w t e n d t o b e t h e C a r n e g i e t y p e b u i l d i n g w h i c h h a s l o n g s i n c e l o s t a n y a t t r a c t i v e n e s s t h a t it m i g h t h a v e h a d . O u r t a s k t h e r e f o r e is t w o f o l d : t o p e r s u a d e t h e s t u d e n t s t o c o m e i n t o t h e li- b r a r y a n d t o e n c o u r a g e t h e m t o r e a d m o r e w i d e l y o n c e t h e y h a v e c o m e . O u r a t t r a c - t i v e b u i l d i n g a n d s i m p l e a r r a n g e m e n t of b o o k s a r e h e l p i n g g r e a t l y t o c a r r y o u t t h e f i r s t t a s k . F o r t h e s e c o n d w e a r e u s i n g e y e - c a t c h i n g b u l l e t i n b o a r d d i s p l a y s , a n d JULY, 1951 231 special displays of books in the b r o w s i n g area and on the first floor. By the time w e can build the other wing, library fashions may have changed completely, but nonetheless we have definite ideas as to w h a t should go into it. T h e original plans called only f o r a r e a d i n g r o o m — n o basement, no second floor. B u t now we plan to ask f o r basement, first floor, second floor and attic, j u s t as w e have in the present w i n g . W e believe t h a t w e shall require all this space f o r special read- ing rooms, m a p room, rooms f o r reading machines, individual seminar or conference rooms, a small a u d i t o r i u m f o r motion pic- t u r e projection and a room f o r archives storage. I n addition to this w i n g , provision is made f o r extension t o w a r d the south, and if necessary in the distant f u t u r e , the building could be completed in a hollow square. T h e simplicity of the present struc- t u r e makes it very flexible. The Administration of Intelligence Archives (Continued from page 2ig) constitutes a special problem, f o r govern- m e n t regulations are d e m a n d i n g . Secondly, an intelligence research center g r o w s rapidly despite c a r e f u l weeding. T h e r e - fore, due consideration f o r security and g r o w t h should govern the allocation of space f o r the center w h e n it is set up. P o o r w o r k i n g conditions, f r a y e d nerves and crowded q u a r t e r s are not conducive to ef- fective research which requires as m u c h quiet and academic e n v i r o n m e n t as a gov- e r n m e n t building w i l l allow. I n s u m m a r y then, it may be said t h a t the concept of a research center and intelligence archives is a relatively n e w extension of l i b r a r y service. I t is a testing g r o u n d f o r n e w techniques of library a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , new machines and n e w approaches to cataloging and classification. Inventive- ness, clear t h i n k i n g and the ability to w o r k u n d e r pressure are p a r t i c u l a r qualifications needed by people engaged in such profes- sional w o r k . Since no final solution has been f o u n d f o r the m u l t i t u d e of problems presented, an open m i n d is essential. M o s t i m p o r t a n t , an efficient research center de- m a n d s good o r g a n i z a t i o n ; a s t r o n g ad- m i n i s t r a t o r in w h o m is combined a k n o w l - edge of librarianship and an appreciation of intelligence service; and a staff a l e r t to n e w ideas and ready to capitalize on them in i m p r o v i n g service, m a k i n g m a t e r i a l s available p r o m p t l y and facilitating the w o r k of other intelligence w o r k e r s , thus f u r t h e r - ing the mission of U . S . strategic intelli- gence. 232 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES