College and Research Libraries


Because of t h e 
General E u r o p e a n W a r , 

A m e r i c a n scholarly 

libraries are finding it increasingly diffi-

cult to keep necessary collections of for-

eign periodicals and books up to date. 

It is apparently the feeling among U . S . 

college and university libraries that sub-

scriptions must be continued for the lead-

ing foreign journals, part of w h i c h are 

still coming direct to the U n i t e d States 

and part of which are being stored abroad. 

B a r d C o l l e g e L i -

East brary, Annandale-

o n - t h e - H u d s o n , 

N e w Y o r k , has received a number of 

valuable H a r d y items as a g i f t . T h e s e 

include the M c C u t c h e o n copy of T h o m a s 

H a r d y ' s The Dynasts w i t h the dedication 

to A l g e r n o n S w i n b u r n e ; the manuscript 

of his poem The Oxen; a H a r d y letter 

to Professor B a r r y in Cambridge, E n g -

land ; and t w o privately printed poems. 

Brooklyn C o l l e g e L i b r a r y , A s a D o n 

Dickinson, librarian, is featuring a read-

ing program based on the A . L . A . reading 

list, Our American Democracy. A l l of 

the copies of books on the list are available 

at the main desk and a prize of $ 1 0 has 

been announced for the best essay on " O u r 

A m e r i c a n D e m o c r a c y . " T o be eligible 

for the contest w h i c h closes the end of 

the f a l l semester, a student must have read 

at least three titles on the list. Five hun-

dred copies of the A . L . A . reading list have 

been made available for interested stu-

dents. 

T h e Connecticut C o l l e g e L i b r a r y at 

N e w L o n d o n , L a v i n a Stewart, librarian, 

is planning to build a stack addition, to 

provide adequate space for the 90,000 

volumes w h i c h n o w c r o w d the shelves, 

and w h i c h w i l l include 100 carrells. T h e 

News from 
additions are made possible through the 

generosity of the late G e o r g e S. Palmer 

and M r s . Palmer, donors of the library, 

w h o l e f t a g i f t f o r the purpose in 1 9 3 1 . 

T h i s is to be supplemented by a $40,000 

grant f r o m the Carnegie Corporation of 

N e w Y o r k . 

D a r t m o u t h College L i b r a r y , H a n o v e r , 

N . H . , Nathaniel Goodrich, librarian, has 

recently received and w i l l add to their 

T r e a s u r e Room a 72-volume g i f t collec-

tion comprising one of the finest and most 

valuable Joseph C o n r a d collections in 

existence. T h e g i f t is from G e o r g e M a t -

thew A d a m s , N e w Y o r k author and book 

collector, and includes every one of C o n -

rad's books in mint condition and in the 

first edition. D a r t m o u t h College L i b r a r y 

also received an A l d o u s H u x l e y collection 

of 100 items f r o m Richard H . M a n d e l l 

of N e w Y o r k C i t y . In this collection, 

every volume is a first edition by or about 

H u x l e y . 

T h e School of Commerce L i b r a r y at 

N e w Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y has received from 

a large private investment firm an exten-

sive collection of books, periodicals, finan-

cial reports, and clippings on business 

and commercial subjects f o r m i n g the 

equivalent of about 10,000 volumes. T h e 

collection covers all phases of economics, 

money, banking, investments, agriculture, 

manufactures, mining, transportation, gov-

ernment, and public finance. In addition 

to that, another valuable collection of 

material on labor problems w a s received 

f r o m L a b o r Bureau, Incorporated. A r -

rangements have been made by w h i c h 

N e w Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y , R . B . 

D o w n s , director, w i l l acquire the library 

of the H e b r e w T e c h n i c a l Institution in 

184 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



the Field 
N e w Y o r k C i t y . T h e collection, num-

bering 20,000, is particularly strong in 

industrial and vocational education. 

N e w Y o r k U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r y also re-

ports an index to A m e r i c a n periodicals 

completed a f t e r six years of extensive re-

search by a staff of W . P . A . workers. I t 

includes 700,000 cards including authors' 

entries, subjects, poetry, fiction, songs, and 

book reviews, some 1800 volumes of 351 

periodicals covering the period in the 

U n i t e d States f r o m 1728 down to 1859. 

T h e index has opened up a large amount 

of hitherto inaccessible literature in a va-

riety of fields. 

W h e n the new Rush Rhees L i b r a r y of 

University of Rochester, John R . Russell, 

librarian, w a s opened in 1930, only five 

of the nineteen levels in the book stacks 

in the tower w e r e filled w i t h shelving. 

Because of a constantly expanding book 

collection, three additional levels have 

been shelved recently. T h e s e new levels 

w i l l increase the space available so that 

290,000 books can be housed in the stacks. 

A locked section on the fifth level w a s 

fenced off to care for the rare book col-

lection. 

T h e University of V e r m o n t L i b r a r y 

at Burlington, M i s s H e l e n Shattuck, li-

brarian, has received t w o letters w r i t t e n 

by a blind man fifty years ago to the edi-

tor of a B u r l i n g t o n paper. Roland E . 

Robinson w a s a famous V e r m o n t author 

w h o published the majority of his books 

a f t e r he became blind. T h e first letter 

included information relative to Indian 

names of V e r m o n t mountains, rivers, and 

landmarks. T h e second letter included 

personal data of M r . Robinson's life. 

Both letters w e r e given to the V e r m o n t 

library by Professor G . W . Benedict, 

emeritus professor of B r o w n University 

living in Providence, and a grandson of 

Professor G e o r g e W . Benedict, U n i v e r -

sity of V e r m o n t faculty member from 

1825 to 1847. 

Y a l e University has a special division 

of the graduate school which provides fel-

lowships for advanced study, cutting 

across departmental lines. Libraries and 

museums of art, public forums, and ex-

tension w o r k in public school systems, 

represent the outstanding fields of w o r k 

for these fellowships. 

T h e cornerstone 

South of the n e w M e r n e r -

P f e i f f e r L i b r a r y 

building at Tennessee W e s l e y a n College, 

Athens, Tennessee, w a s laid W e d n e s d a y , 

November 20, 1940, w i t h appropriate 

ceremonies. 

H e r m a n H . H e n -

Middle West kle, director of the 

library school, Sim-

mons College L i b r a r y , B o s t o n ; G . F l i n t 

P u r d y , librarian, W a y n e University, D e -

t r o i t ; and D o n a l d Coney, librarian, U n i -

versity of T e x a s , A u s t i n , are co-authors 

of a professional survey of the Indiana 

University L i b r a r y , sponsored and just 

published by the American L i b r a r y Asso-

ciation. T h e survey, made at the request 

of Indiana University president, H e r m a n 

B . W e l l s , includes prospective reorganiza-

tion plans for the University of Indiana 

L i b r a r y . 

T h e cornerstone of the H e n r y P f e i f f e r 

M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y was laid October 17, 

1940 on Founders' D a y , at M a c M u r r a y 

College, Jacksonville, Illinois. 

T h e John H a l l Sherratt L i b r a r y at 

R o c k f o r d College was dedicated October 

MARCH, 1941 
18 7 



20, 194°- T h e total cost of $130,000 

w a s donated by alumni and friends of the 

institution. 

D e n k m a n n M e m o r i a l L i b r a r y , A u g u s -

tana College, R o c k Island, Illinois, W i l -

liam Baehr, librarian, has enlarged an 

unused section of its basement to provide 

additional stack room for 40,000 volumes. 

T h e s e additions to the stacks are a $12,000 

g i f t from the original donor of the li-

brary building. Recent offerings of Swed-

ish publishers are being received at 

A u g u s t a n a through the n e w l y organized 

Institute of Swedish C u l t u r e w h i c h has 

its headquarters on the campus. In this 

w a y the extensive holdings of the library's 

S w a n and L i n d e r collections are being 

greatly supplemented, increasing the value 

of the college as a center of Scandinavian 

research. 

T h e December, 1940, issue of Minne-

sota Libraries is devoted to an examination 

of the college libraries in Minnesota in-

cluding liberal arts, teachers, and junior 

colleges. T h e reports and studies are 

summed up in an interpretative article by 

F r a n k W a l t e r , librarian, University of 

Minnesota. 

December 9, 1940, the president and 

librarians of K e n t State University, A k r o n 

University, H i r a m C o l l e g e , and M t . 

U n i o n College, met at K e n t to discuss 

library improvement. D r . Charles 

Ketcham, president of M t . U n i o n , has in-

vited them to the campus at A l l i a n c e , 

O h i o , to consider a union catalog system 

and to consider securing the resources in 

the various fields. D r . Keebrick, presi-

dent of K e n t State University, cited as an 

illustration that w h i l e K e n t w o u l d be 

making special efforts to emphasize po-

litical science, M t . U n i o n might expand 

its religious section and that both collec-

tions, under the union system, w o u l d be 

available to each of the four institutions. 

A special bequest f r o m D o n a l d C . L o v e , 

a native of Nebraska, makes possible the 

construction of a new library building at 

the U n i v e r s i t y of Nebraska, Lincoln, Rob-

ert A . M i l l e r , librarian. T h e approxi-

mate cost w i l l be $750,000. A planning 

committee has been appointed and con-

struction w i l l be begun in the spring of 

1 9 4 1 . T h e U n i v e r s i t y of Nebraska also 

announces the acquisition of the collection 

of private papers and journals of J . Ster-

l i n g M o r t o n , Nebraska pioneer, originator 

of A r b o r D a y , and secretary of agriculture 

in C l e v e l a n d ' s second administration. It 

is estimated the collection contains 75,000 

letters and 2000 printed copies. 

Several hundred 

South West volumes and a large 

collection of rocks 

and fossils belonging to the late Professor 

G . E . Anderson of U n i v e r s i t y of O k l a -

homa have been presented to the geology 

library of that institution. 

A n original manuscript letter w r i t t e n 

by Empress C a r l o t t a of M e x i c o w h e n she 

w a s in France t r y i n g to get aid for the 

former emperor, M a x i m i l i a n , has been 

added to the L a t i n A m e r i c a n collection of 

the U n i v e r s i t y of T e x a s L i b r a r y , A u s t i n , 

D o n a l d C o n e y , librarian. M o r e than 600 

manuscripts, documents relating to politics 

in M e x i c o and T e x a s , have also been 

added to the university library's collection. 

T h e s e cover the period of the early 1800's. 

O v e r a million volumes w e r e circulated 

d u r i n g the past year at U n i v e r s i t y of 

T e x a s L i b r a r y . T h i s is the second con-

secutive year that previous circulation rec-

ords have been broken. T h e library has 

also received as a g i f t the original manu-

scripts and library of D r . F r a n k B . 

M a r s h , an authority on ancient history. 

186 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



P a r t of the first library brought to the 

A m e r i c a n continent—original autographs 

of the owner still l e g i b l e — h a s been ac-

quired by the University of T e x a s L i -

brary, D o n a l d Coney, librarian, for its 

L a t i n American collection. T h e s e include 

five volumes on religion and a copy of the 

first European edition of M o r e ' s Utopia 
published in S w i t z e r l a n d . T h e four-hun-

dred-year-old books w e r e among a collec-

tion of 150 brought to the N e w W o r l d 

in 1528 by J u a n Z u m a r r a g a , first bishop 

of M e x i c o and sponsor of the first A m e r -

ican printing press. 

D o r o t h y Bevis of 

Far West University of C a l i -

fornia Press, w a s 

guest speaker at the first meeting of the 

Bibliophile Society at M i l l s College, Eve-

lyn S. L i t t l e , librarian. She addressed a 

student group on " T h e Amenities of Book 

C o l l e c t i n g . " 

A t M i l l s C o l l e g e L i b r a r y , a student 

library committee is now serving on the 

one hand as a channel for clearing con-

structive suggestions of students to the 

librarian, and on the other hand, to inter-

pret library services to the student body. 

A standard library test w a s given to the 

members of the freshman class for the 

first time. T h e general opinion of a f e w 

faculty members w h o also took the test 

was that it w a s much too difficult and too 

highly specialized for anybody but library 

school graduates. 

A bust of A l b e r t Einstein presented to 

the University of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y at 

Berkeley by t w o San Francisco attorneys 

has been placed in the M a i n C a t a l o g 

Room of that library. O n Saturday, N o -

vember 16, the fourth meeting of the 

N o r t h w e s t C o l l e g e Librarians G r o u p w a s 

called to order by M r . W a r r e n L . P e r r y , 

librarian, College of P u g e t Sound, T a -

coma. T e n t a t i v e plans w e r e presented for 

a proposed library building at the C o l l e g e 

of P u g e t Sound. Charles W . Smith, U n i -

versity of W a s h i n g t o n L i b r a r y , Seattle, 

presented a progress report of the new 

union catalog at the university. In the 

afternoon, D r . Chapman, professor of 

English at the College of P u g e t Sound, 

spoke on his w o r k in editing a literature 

anthology in the C o l l e g e of P u g e t Sound 

L i b r a r y . M i s s Janet W a l k e r was elected 

chairman of the group, and F a t h e r D a v i d , 

secretary, for the next meeting to be held 

in Portland. T w e n t y - f o u r librarians 

representing 16 colleges and universities 

were present. 

University of C a l i f o r n i a M e d i c a l C e n -

ter L i b r a r y at San Francisco has recently 

established a circulating periodical service 

for C a l i f o r n i a physicians. T h e service 

costs are borne by the borrower. 

University of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y at 

Berkeley, H a r o l d K . Leupp, librarian, has 

recently received from D r . Richard B . 

Goldschmidt, professor of zoology, a very 

unusual collection of letters. T h e letters 

include correspondence w i t h the founders 

of modern zoology and many other scien-

tists. T h e r e are also letters from eminent 

artists, writers, musicians, and philoso-

phers. 

D r . H e r b e r t I. Priestley, director of 

B a n c r o f t L i b r a r y , University of C a l i f o r -

nia at Berkeley, announces that approxi-

mately 200,000 pages of valuable source 

material relating to the history of C a l i -

fornia has been gathered by professors and 

students traveling in N o r t h and South 

A m e r i c a and presented to the B a n c r o f t 

L i b r a r y . M o s t of the material w i l l be 

preserved on film. 

Stanford University L i b r a r y , N a t h a n 

van Patten, director, has received a col-

MARCH, 1941 18 7 



lection of Americana gathered by Superior 

J u d g e E l m e r E . Robinson of San F r a n -

cisco. T h e collection includes some 500 

books, 100 pamphlets, and tracts, 130 let-

ters, and a large group of newspapers 

dated from Colonial and Revolutionary 

times. 

University of O r e g o n L i b r a r y staff has 

begun the publication of a staff association 

mimeographed publication entitled The 

Call Number, w h i c h is n o w in its second 

volume. Included in the numbers of the 

publication are book reviews, staff notes, 

and library notes of interest, particularly 

to the libraries and institutions of the 

Pacific coast. 

T h e University of O r e g o n L i b r a r y at 

Eugene, M a t t h e w H a l l D o u g l a s , librar-

ian, announces the acceptance of the li-

brary of Philip R . Brooks as the g i f t of 

M r s . Lester Brooks of P o r t l a n d , w h o w i l l 

provide $5,000 for a special room on the 

third floor to house one of the finest per-

sonal library collections in the Pacific 

N o r t h w e s t region. Included in the book 

collection are many fine editions and 

standard sets of English and A m e r i c a n 

authors, and translations into English 

from French authors. It is planned that 

this room w i l l be a comfortable study 

lounge for graduate students. 

T h e State Board of H i g h e r Education 

has authorized the U n i v e r s i t y of O r e g o n 

to issue a series of library research mono-

graphs f r o m funds available for publica-

tion, including bibliographies of unique 

or unusual collections of research materials 

in the university library as w e l l as de-

scriptions of unique or rare manuscripts 

and discussion of bibliographic problems 

relating to these manuscripts. 

O n the third floor of the University of 

O r e g o n L i b r a r y is a room containing pho-

tographs representing the early beginnings 

of the university down to the present. 

W a s h i n g t o n State C o l l e g e L i b r a r y , 

P u l l m a n , W . W . Foote, librarian, now 

includes among its treasures the smallest 

Bible in the w o r l d — o n e and one-half 

inches l o n g and one-half inch thick, con-

taining the f u l l text of the N e w T e s t a -

ment. T h e Bible is equipped w i t h a min-

iature m a g n i f y i n g glass fitted into the 

back of the binding. I t is a replica of the 

family Bible of W i l l i a m Shakespeare and 

contains a facsimile of Shakespeare's fam-

ily record. 

Frances A r m a l a s , 

Personnel Illinois '40, recently 

became a new mem-

ber of the catalog department, University 

of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y , Berkeley. 

M r s . H e l e n Black, C a l i f o r n i a '39, has 

been appointed assistant in the documents 

division, U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y , 

Berkeley. 

M r s . N e l l e C . B r o w n is n o w clerical 

assistant in the catalog department, at 

U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y , Berke-

ley. 

M r s . I n e z C o l b y , w h o has been w i t h 

the library for more than 26 years, re-

signed her position in the catalog depart-

ment of U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y , 

Berkeley, O c t o b e r 3, 1940. 

A g n e s M . C o l e , in charge of B a n c r o f t 

L i b r a r y , cataloging, at U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i -

fornia L i b r a r y in Berkeley, resigned June 

30, 1940. 

T h e f o l l o w i n g appointments have been 

made at the U n i v e r s i t y of C a l i f o r n i a L i -

brary, B e r k e l e y : 

R u t h French, C o l u m b i a '29, previously 

on the staff of C o l u m b i a U n i v e r s i t y L i -

brary, has recently been appointed senior 

bibliographer. 

M r s . E v a F r a m , C a l i f o r n i a '39, is an 

assistant in filing. 

188 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES 



A g n e s M . Johnson, Columbia '33, for-

merly at K e r n C o u n t y L i b r a r y , has been 

appointed bibliographer. 

M r s . L i s l Loeb, C a l i f o r n i a '40, is now 

assistant in the catalog department. 

A n n a F . Pitney, C a l i f o r n i a '40, is an 

assistant in the accessions department. 

M r s . A l i c e F . Reynolds, Columbia '38, 

is an assistant cataloger for the B a n c r o f t 

L i b r a r y . 

D r . Diether von den Steinen has been 

appointed curator of the Chinese and 

Japanese language collection. D r . von 

den Steinen spent eleven years in C h i n a . 

R u t h L . Steinmetz, assistant chief of 

the bibliography division, has been as-

signed to the School of Education L i b r a r y . 

Robert Vosper, C a l i f o r n i a '40, is as-

sistant in the reference division. 

Jerome K . W i l c o x w a s promoted f r o m 

assistant librarian to associate librarian 

J u l y I, 1940. 

G o r d o n W i l s o n , C a l i f o r n i a '40, is now 

assistant in the catalog department. 

Further Lists of Books for College Libraries 
(Continued from page 118) 

selection aids. T h e Booklist aims at the 
prompt evaluation of books considered 

suitable for immediate library acquisition; 

the A.L.A. Catalog is an expression of 
the deferred judgment on such titles as 

basic books. A g a i n , this sampling is not 

infallibly conclusive, but it is further in-

dicative of those discrepancies in book se-

lection aids. In this check 100 haphazard-

ly selected titles from the Booklist were 
checked against the A.L.A. Catalog, 1932-
1936. O f the 100 Booklist-cited titles 
only 37 w e r e included in the later publica-

tion. In this random sampling, therefore, 

63 per cent of the immediately accepted 

titles w e r e rejected in the later compilation 

of books desirable for permanent library 

acquisition. I t seems reasonable to suppose 

that a similar variation might be expected 

among those titles recommended in corre-

sponding current and basic lists aimed at 

college book selection. 

O n e still further possibility, if support 

should w a r r a n t it, w o u l d be the adoption 

of both procedures: a quickly prepared 

quarterly list (like the Booklist). 

T w e n t y issues of this w o u l d become the 

basis, not of cumulation, but for the 

compilation of a revised authoritative and 

tested selection (like the A.L.A. Cata-
log) to be issued as the next inclusive 
five-year volume in a series including the 

original book, the existing 1 9 3 1 - 1 9 3 8 

supplement, and the proposed 1939-1941 

selections. 

A l l these proposals are unofficial, tenta-

tive, and suggestive. So far as I know, 

no scheme of procedure has been adopted 

or even planned in detail by any organiza-

tion. Before there is a commitment to any 

plan I believe that there should be some 

canvassing of the opinions of, and some 

investigation of the possibilities of partici-

pation by, official representatives of the 

various learned societies whose fields of 

interest are included in the publication. 

In addition to such extra-professional dis-

cussions I am sure that the publishing de-

partment of the A . L . A . and the officials of 

the Association of College and Reference 

Libraries w i l l welcome your letters of 

comment and advice. 

MARCH, 1941 189