f
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1938
TURK
Kteedl QiMireases for Mew Uferary
1891 Library
Serves 1938
University
Five Hundred Per Cent
Increase in Enrollment
But No Improvement
Library Hall in '38 as in '91
Ten Class Buildings
Hold Library Books
v.
9
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i
In 1891 the Spanish-American
war was yet to be fought. In that
year, a library building was
erected on the campus of the uni
versitya building designed to
meet the needs of the approximate
1000 students then registered and
the 14,000 volumes then in the
book collection.
1938 has come and with it more
than 5,000 students jam the uni
versity buildings to capacity.
330,000 books now comprise the
collection. In other words, al
though registration has increased
some five hundred per cent, and
the total of library books has in
creased by some 2300 per cent,
the library remains the same.
Inadequate in 1919
During the period from 1895 to
1937. many buildings have been
constructed to care for the grow
ing university, but for the library,
nothing has been done.
As early as 1919, the building
had proven itself inadequate as a
central library building. A report
made in that year stated that it
was "necessary to shift many
shelves of books in order to place
a few newly-acquired volumes.
A far more serious aspect of the
situation in 1919 was the fact that
there was not sufficient space in
the building for the book collec
tion. Temporary shelving in other
buildings had to be erected. This
temporary shelving has been ex
panded many times since 1919
until today, there are no base
ments, no storage rooms remain
ing on the city campus to which
the library can consign its over
flow.
A $643,000 Investment.
Perhaps, as Dean H. H. Foster
of law college suggested, the books
should be stored in the huge pipes
of the university heating plant.
$012,972.27 that is the value of
all books, magazines, and maps
owned by the university, accord
ing to the inventory record pre
sented in the last printed financial
report of the university.
Yet the construction of the pros
ent library is not fireproof. Most
of the storage places utilized by
the library are not fireproof. Nor
is there any insurance on the
library collection.
Because of the condition of the
roof of the building, damage to
library materials follows every
storm.
The present building cannot
carry more dead weight on the
unper floors. Beams supporting
the ceiling of the main reading
room give evidence of strain
above, and point to a danger of
collapse.
rne ngniing laciiities, such as
they are, both natural and artifi
cial, are very poor and are the
cause of a great deal of eye strain
to those students who do manage
to get places to study.
A new milking process which ex
eludes air from all steps of the
process has been invented by an
unlo State university professor.
LIBRARY FACTS
IN BRIEF
A. Present facilities. (Library hall).
1. For the student:
i. Number of students en city campus, exclusive Law,
Dentistry, Pharmacy S.000
b. Seat in reading rooms 400
c. Seats In book stack (
d. Seminar rooms 1
2. For the faculty.
a. Number served 1 . 250
b. Seats in book stack t . S
c. Carrels in book stack . 0
d. Studies 0
S. Other
a. Volumes In stack .. 115, 000
b. Volumes In other buildings, city campus 110,000
c. Volumes In dead storage SO,000
d. Value of library books, uninsured $500,000
i. The building is Not Fireproof
B Proposed facilities. (New Library building),
1. Students:
a. Total seats I.JO
b. Seats In st.icks 135
c. Seminar and graduate reading rooms 14
2. Faculty:
a. Carrels In book stacks 115
b. Studies 32
3. Other:
a. Volumes In stacks 468,750
b. Volumes In other buildings O
c. Volumes In dead storage 0
d. Building to be Fireproofed
Estimate.
"Excepting small laboratory collections.
ii.n . iiiiiHiiiiili nil" ii ism i i rrnrrnni fu Iwhiimiiw n rim i n 1 1 t if l? in inTiiir"nl
Twelve State
Once Attended Nebraska
Alumni, Yearbook Files
Show Senate Statistics
Twelve of the 43 legislators In
Nebraska's unicameral governing
body have at one time or another
attended the University of Ne
braska, the files of the Alumni
office and 38 years of Comhuskers
reveal.
Amos Thomas, Ninth district
senator who has been re-elected
from Omaha, appears in the 1909
Comhusker as president of his law
class, chairman of the junior
prom committee, a cadet captain,
member of Vikings, junior society,
Phi Delta Phi, law fraternity, and
Phi Delta Theta.
Carl H. Peterson, Fifteenth dis
trict senator living at Norfolk, is
presented by the Cornhusker ed
itors of 1921 as a member of Phi
Alpha Tau, professional oratorical
fraternity. Phi Delta Phi, law
fraternity, an Alpha Theta Chi
now known as Beta Sigma Psi,
the Dramatics club and a com
mandant of the American Legion
J. C. Reavis was granted his
law decree in 1925, and he la now
an attorney at FaUs City. John
Adams, jr., graduated in 1927 and
received his L. L. B. two years
later. Richard Johnson, Delta Tau
Delta, got his L. L. B. eight years
ago after graduating in 1925.
Lester Dunn finished law college
in 1918 and George B. Gross in
1924.
Emil E. Brodecky attended Ne
braska In 1907, W. H. Diers in
1913, Frank J. Brady in 1918.
Daniel Garber in 1900 and James
E. Reed In 1908.
Of the twelve Nebraska uni
versity men seven received law
degrees from the university and
Legislators
seven, also, are taking ineir seats
in the unicameral for the second
time. Of the state university men
who ran for re-election 60 percent
were returned to office, while only
42 percent of non-Nebraska men
were successful in retaining tlreir
positions.
DEANS PETITION
(Continued from Page 1.)
dio to take the place of his old
one. "And," he adds, defiantly
"If Santa Claus doesn't get one
for me, I shall get one for my
self."
"I don't want to go to any more
committee meetings for a month,
I want 12 hours of sleep a night
and I want five hours a day to
spend for my own study," Dean
Oldfather said wearily as if he
doubted it. even St. Nicholas could
bring him these things.
Dean Ferguson modestly asked
Santa to tuck a new engineering
building into his sack on Christ
mas eve and put it somewhere on
the Nebraska campus. And since
it is his first concern, the dean
thinks Santa should seriously con
aider doing so. Dean Henzllk
wants St Nick to influence the
government in behalf of a new
Nebraska athletic building.
"A pound of cheese and a pound
of raisins!" Dr. Lyman shouted
as If he hoped Santa Claus might
hear. Dr. Lyman says that he
has never had enough of either,
and be wants some to eat all
by himself. But he la particular
about the kind of cheese and ral
sins. None of that Imported
cheese for him, he wants wiscon
sin cheese with a twang to
and old fashioned non-seeded rai
sins still on the bunch.
LOOS SELECTED
(Continued from Page 1.)
Neb., and is 20 years old. He is
majoring in history at the unl
versity where he is a member of
Scabbard and Blade, honorary
military fraternity, and Pi Mu Ep:
silon, honorary mathematic organ
ization. McDonald ia a resident of
Omaha and is also 20 years of age.
He is majoring in economics at
Harvard. , ( .
Dartmouth college is now laying
plans for an annual summer
drama festival which will be "a
yearly exhibition of the best in the
theater."
HE1T-CAIIS
Rood, clean and avnllnble at all
hours. Rates rt-naonnhle. Conven
ient locution. Always open. 20
years In business.
MOTOR OUT COMPANY
1120 P St B6819
A flrater In Rrerr Car
Space Shortage Forces 110,000 Volumes, Nearly
Half Total Number, into
Unit the books in the
must lie stored outside Library
space in tlie building.
At the present tnno tliere
rnry hnll ami 110,000 volumes
In 23 different places in 10 class
buildings. Furthermore, space on
the campus is so crowded that
42,000 of these volumes must be
stored in places that make them
inaccessible for students to use.
Books are stored in one place
each in Law, Brace, University
hall, Observatory, Mechanical
Arts, Avery, and Bessey; in two
places in Morrill, in four places
in Andrews, and in ten places in
Social Sciences.
Serious Disadvantages.
It must be obvious that there
are many serious disadvantages to
such a dispersion of books. Omit
ting such considerations as effect
the books physically, this forced
scattering of the collection means:
1. That the library staff is
unable to supply these books
promptly on demand.
2. That the library staff is
unable to prevlJt prompt refer
ence service, if s ich service re
quires the uts or any of these
110,000 volumes which the main
library is unable to accomodate.
3. That library users desiring
to consult needed books must
often be sent to scattered read
ing rooms which are inade
quately staffed and open on a
limited daily schedule.
Disadvantages of dispersion
were pointed out in the facultv
committee report of 1934. "
the distribution of the library of
the university and of other collec
tions, most of which should be at
the service of faculty and stu
dents, shows that the books are
badly scattered over the campus,
nearly 50 percent of them being
housed outside the library build
ing, furthermore it will be noted
that some 42,000 volumes are in
storage, in libraries which are
locked or without supervision, or
in offices and seminar rooms.
Wasteful and Inefficient.
Since the library budget will
permit neither trained supervision
over mese collections nor a mcs
sengcr boy constantly on duty, it
can scarcely be said that these
volumes are readily accessible to
faculty and students. Nor is it
practicable to send patrons to
many of the storage places, some
of which are dark, dusty, and in
adequately ventilated."
To further the most efficient
use of library books, particularly
for the general student, it has long
m ii mi
L ' - j
fci-n- - - - Mia".a-.iMt
forn,al
Other Storage Spaces
university library n collection
hull Localise oC inndequnlc
are 11.), 000 volumes witnin Li-
scattered over 1lie eaiiipu
Professors Keep
Mimeographed
Exams Secret
Secret final exam questions wil
remnin uscret if instructors wil
do their part, a Dally Nebraska'
reporter concluded after a bit o
research which ended in near hos
tilities. Final exams are mimcographe
by the mlmeopraphing service i
the west stadium wnero the re
potter went to test their repute
secrecy. A heavy wire mesh cag
full of mimeographing equipment
in the center of a big room looke
like the place, but a sharp "Wha
do you want?" challenged hir
about fifteen feet from the en
trance. An attempt to avoid the watch
dog of the mimeograph failed a
did attempts to question him.
The secrecy of the exams (lur
ing the rest of their early live
depends upon the individual in
structor. Several instructors inter
viewed admitted that the exnm
are merely tossed in a desi.
drawer until needed.
"Sealed Orders."
Prudent instructors make on'
their final examinations in solitud
and send them through the cam
pus mail in a sealed envelope t
the mimeographing service. Her
they are printed and returned th"
same way, religiously counted an
sealed. The mimeograph stensil
are destroyed immediately afte.
printing.
That all these precautions ar -justified
is proven by Sergean
L. C. Reglar's statement that dur
ing his time here there have beer
instances where break-ins in in
structors' offices has been attri
buted to students seeking advance
exam information.
been axiomatic that a centralize'
library collection is essential.
By this dispersion of the boo'
collection which the present out
moded library necessitates, thf
education of the typical or averajre
University of Nebraska student is
seriously handicapped. Moreover,
the administration of 23 collections
in 10 different buildings Involves
a measure of waste and ineffici
ency that is unavoidable.
Happy Holidays!
WISHING YOU
HEARTY GREETINGS
FOR THE
CHRISTMAS
SEASON
AND BEST WISHES
FOR 1939
A. Q. Schimmel
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