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Published Occasionally by the Friends of the Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley 4, California PUBLISHED OCCASIONALLY BY THE FRIENDS OF THE BANCROFT LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY 4, CALIFORNIA MHRQH, 1950 I Foreword alike have welcomed the relocation, which meant more room for the proper arrange­ WITH THIS ISSUE we hope to begin answer­ ment and accessibility of materials, and en­ ing the familiar query, "What's going on in larged and more comfortable work space for the Bancroft?" The Library has long dreamed research. The Bancroft Library has now of an occasional publication to convey news completed its sixth move since its creation and information to its many friends. Now, by Hubert Howe Bancroft. It is to be hoped with much to tell about our activities and that this is the last step before the Library is new quarters, Bancroftiana makes its debut. finally established in a permanent building The choice of a name for our publication of its own at some not-too-distant date. gave us some uneasy moments, but after The move to Bancroft's new quarters was much mulling over of dictionary and the­ not accomplished without mixed feelings saurus we found a definition that took our and many backward glances on the part of fancy: "-ana: a suffix added to proper names various old-timers who had "grown up" to form nouns denoting items of bibliog­ (academically speaking) in the crowded and raphy, anecdotes, literary gossip, or other well-worn old Bancroft. Scholars and re­ facts or pieces of information, concerning the searchers who sought it as an "Ivory Tower" designated object..." So Bancroftiana it is. in the midst of a busy and impersonal Uni­ We hope you like it. versity will remember the generations of graduate students who periodically emerged from the dimly lit stacks for cigarettes and discussion in small groups on the balconies. Down From the A ttic More recent students and staff who gathered SINCE 1922 the Bancroft has been on the there to peer at excavations for the Annex fourth floor of the University Library, watched sadly as the mammoth new build­ wedged under the eaves in cramped quarters ing rapidly grew between them and the un­ which not only provided improper housing excelled view of campus and Berkeley hills. for the Library's fine and rare materials, but The benefits of square footage and modern hampered scholars in their research because equipment are not to be ignored, however. of lack of facilities. Shelf space was exhausted, Even the most sentimental of those who and the manuscript room overflowed with once hung their hats informally on the bust accumulated miscellany. Staff and students of Hubert Howe Bancroft will admit the advantages to the new generation—who will THE HANDSOMEST PART of the Library machines, and for storing the Library's In the new quarters, additional shelving henceforth write their dissertations in sur­ Annex is Bancroft's main reading room. Its rapidly growing collection of microfilm, makes it possible to place the uncatalogued roundings of chromium and fluorescent turquoise walls, Venetian blinds, marbleized soon to be classified. part of the Crook collection, which consists light. floors, and custom-built furniture of blonde With this new arrangement it has become of several thousand volumes on Colombia oak tempt all visitors to stay. A determined possible to set up special equipment and spe­ and Venezuela, in stacks adjacent to the effort, however, is being made to reserve the cial regulations. Custom-made tables make cataloguing room. A few hundred of these individual desks and the unassigned tables books have already been catalogued, and it The New Bancroft it easier to use newspapers and large collec­ for those actually using Bancroft materials. tions of manuscripts. Tables and desks are is expected that the project will be resumed FIRST OF ALL, it's cheerful. There's lots of Air-conditioning and fluorescent light make assigned to regular readers but places are in the near future. color, and lots of light, and so much more research more comfortable. The stacks, of always available for those who come for At the present time the greater part of space that it still seems almost unbelievable. bright canary yellow, are well lighted, and shorter periods. There is constant super­ the work is concentrated upon a recent The new Bancroft occupies three levels, and the bottom shelves are left vacant for present vision of the reading room from 8:00 a.m. Mexican purchase of about 1100 volumes, of it is now possible for each department to comfort and future expansion. Stair and to 5.00 p.m., Monday through Friday. It is which more than half are already in process. have its own headquarters. On the lower elevator areas are a rich, ripe tomato red, for hoped that readers who wish to consult rare floor are the manuscript reading room, with easy visibility among the mazes of yellow. materials at other times will let the staff its workroom and storage shelves; the elabo­ Exhibit cases in the section open to the know their needs in advance. rate new map cases; newspaper files; and public would be desirable but have not thus Room for storage has been greatly in­ stacks for rare books. There is also one room, far been provided. creased. All maps will now be available in THE BANCROFT'S current periodicals have still unfurnished, which will be used for the Old-timers in the library are quickly ad­ one place. Specially constructed shelves have withstood the transition from former gopher reading of microfilm. On the main floor are justing themselves to the new elegance, and been provided for rolled maps, and eight hole to present canary-yellow cage in true the general reference desk and reading many new-comers are attracted to it. Circu­ new cases will allow not only for the ex­ stoic fashion. Though they do not seem to room, more stacks, and workspaces for ref­ lation shows promise of being almost double pansion of overcrowded sheet-map facilities, be particularly affected by the move, the erence librarians, book cataloguers, and those what it was when Bancroft was on the but for the safekeeping of pictures and large attending staff at least is rejoicing in having who take care of periodicals. Additional fourth floor. Supervision of the reading documents. Additional stack space means their wards housed together in one compact general stacks are on the mezzanine floor. room is now possible at all times, due to an that fragile items and volumes can now be locale. Since the Bancroft houses over a mile and increased staff of pages, convenient location placed flat upon the shelves instead of At present about 450 periodicals are re­ a half of books, measured as they stand of the catalogue, and installation of tele­ standing on edge. For the first time room ceived, ranging in frequency from daily neatly upright on the shelves, a great deal phone and intercommunication system at can be set aside for the uncatalogued ma­ government gazettes to the extremely ir­ of stack space is necessary. Special fluores­ the desk. A locked entrance to stacks and terial coming in. regular publications of some institutions and cent lighting, known as "slim-line" installa­ manuscript reading room permits double- The preparations area for manuscripts has societies. Of this number the Library sub­ tion, provides continuous lines of light along checking of all who pass the inner portals. been carefully considered. Specially designed scribes to 52; the rest are donated through the aisles. The staff is rapidly becoming adjusted to furniture includes even a viewing table, il­ the generosity of publishers and individuals. In the old Bancroft there were 48 tables new routines and hopes to continue the luminated from below, to aid in deciphering Each day's mail brings periodicals from available for individual assignment. Now same old friendly service. faint and difficult handwriting. most of the area included in the Bancroft's there are 58 places, 24 of them in the gen­ With adequate elbowroom, and additional collecting field, and the content of the ma­ eral reading room, 15 in the manuscripts de­ staff, Bancroft Library should soon be well terial varies almost as widely as the place partment, and 19 in the carrells on the lower on its way toward making its rich store of of origin. Some regions are represented floor. Much of the wooden furniture was information more readily available to readers. among the current periodicals primarily by designed by Mr. John Takeuchi to meet THE MOVE to new quarters has made historical reviews and archival guides, publi­ the special needs of the Library. possible the creation of a department of cations which supplement the exisiting his­ In order that friends of the Bancroft may manuscripts, where special facilities for the torical collection. The coverage in a few know something of its "inner workings," a care, use, and supervision of rare materials THE BANCROFT cataloguers process a areas, California in particular, is much more brief description of each department is given have been provided. This new section ac­ monthly average of 250 volumes, represent­ intensified, and the aim is to achieve a repre­ below. commodates about forty readers, and pro­ ing 150 or 160 titles. Because of the special sentative sampling of current activities as vides a place where all manuscripts, rare interests of the Bancroft Library and the reflected in business organs, government ^r books, newspapers, maps, and pictures may rarity of some of its acquisitions, Library of publications, religious journals, and the like. be consulted. An adjoining room is being Congress cards are not available for many Here the thought is not so much for the adapted for the use of microfilm reading of the titles.
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