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The Separate Undergraduate Library

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ELIZABETH MILLS The Separate Undergraduate Library A new phenomenon came into being in 1949 with the opening of the first separate library for undergraduates in a university. Many have now been built, and more are planned. This paper discusses some of the thinking that preceded their development. It analyzes three of them—Lamont, Michigan, and UCLA—in some detail, and speculates as to their future. OVER THE PAST eighteen years, a num- in enrollment of students, at both the ber of large universities in the United graduate and undergraduate level, has States have established separate libraries caused critical crowding in libraries and for undergraduate students. Either a brought an urgent and imperative need new separate building has been con- for more space. Steadily growing re- structed specifically for the purpose of search collections have added their pres- serving the undergraduates or an old sure for needed room and stack space. building has been converted into a dis- The establishment of research centers crete library to provide a special collec- and graduate schools has brought in- tion, special facilities, and services spe- creasing demands on library facilities cifically oriented to the undergraduate from faculties and scholars. These fac- students. Of late, more and more uni- tors—the need for improved service to versities appear to be following this pat- undergraduates and critical space prob- tern so that it would seem that a defi- lems—have worked together to bring nite trend among academic institutions about the development of the separate has been started. undergraduate library. This development appears to be the This paper proposes to offer a study of result of several concurrent factors. that development, beginning with a list- There has been the recognition of the ing of present undergraduate libraries, need for improved service to the under- continuing with a study of the back- graduate student, who has been swal- ground conditions that led to the estab- lowed up in great multi-universities and lishment of separate undergraduate li- overwhelmed by vast research collec- braries, making a survey of three librar- tions. In constant competition with more ies— Lamont, Michigan, and UCLA— experienced and knowledgeable gradu- which can serve as types, and conclud- ate students, he has come out on the ing with an attempt at evaluating the short end of library service. Perhaps an merits of such a library. even greater impetus toward establishing Before entering into the discussion of another library building on large uni- this paper, however, it must be made versity campuses has been the great clear that it concerns only the under- growth of universities over the past few graduate library which has been set up decades, especially since the end of in its own separate building. There have World War II. A tremendous increase been other types of undergraduate li- brary service provided by universities, Mrs. Mills is Children's Librarian at the but they are not to be confused here Los Angeles Public Library. with that of the separate library. Per- 144/ The Separate Undergraduate Library / 145 haps a few words should be said about is this trend which is the concern of this the other types first. paper. Many libraries have set aside separate collections for undergraduates in special PRESENT EXISTING OR PLANNED quarters within the main university li- UNDERGRADUATE LIRRARIES brary building. Such a plan was success- The first undergraduate library to be fully developed at Columbia, where a built was the Lamont library, which collection of thirty-five thousand vol- opened at Harvard in 1949.5 With the umes, known as the Columbia College opening of the Lamont, a major change library, was set up in special rooms.1 was brought about in library service to For a period of eighteen years—from undergraduates and a pattern was set 1931 to 1949,2 a similar college library that would be followed by an increasing existed at the University of Chicago with number of large universities in succeed- a collection of about twenty thousand ing years. volumes. At the present time, the Uni- On January 7, 1952, the University of versity of Cincinnati has a comparable Minnesota opened a new freshman- scheme with a separate collection of sophomore library in Johnston Hall, about ten thousand volumes tied in which was connected to the main library physically with special collections.3 Rice by a tunnel. This library was oriented University also has developed a specific specifically toward the undergraduate undergraduate collection which is housed student and was an attempt to bring as an entity in a separate room.4 him into closer, open-stack contact with This type of arrangement apparently the library materials which he would has satisfied the specific needs of these need to use immediately.6 institutions for serving their undergradu- The University of Michigan opened ates. In many institutions, a system of its undergraduate library in 1958 and departmental and college or school li- led the way for other large state uni- braries, which vary in size and extent ac- versities. As an example of effective and cording to the needs of the institution, successful planning and coordination be- also exists. Other institutions have spe- tween the state legislature, the Board of cialized provisions for undergraduates, Regents, and university administrators, such as special reading rooms. A number it provided an incentive for other state of other universities have set up small institutions.7 libraries in their residence halls. In rapid succession, other universities The idea of separate service for un- established undergraduate libraries: the dergraduates, therefore, is not new. The University of South Carolina, in I960;8 concept of a separate library building Princeton, in 1961;9 Cornell University, to serve as an individually distinct li- which undertook to convert a seventy- brary for the undergraduate and to pro- year old building into a modern library, vide him with his own environment and service is a relatively new development which began in 1949, however, and it 5 Keyes Metcalf, "The Lamont Library," Harvard Library Bulletin, III (Winter 1949), 29. 6 Robert A. Rohlf, "The Freshman-Sophomore Li- brary at Minnesota," CRL, XIV (April 1953), 164. 7 Frederick H. Wagman, "Undergraduate Library of 1 Wyman S. Parker, "The Vital Core," CRL, XIV the University of Michigan," CRL, XX (May 1959), (July 1953), 274. 179. 2 Stanley E. Gwynn, "The College Library at the 8 J. M. Reames, "Undergraduate Library, University University of Chicago," CRL, XIV (July 1953), 267. of South Carolina," Southeastern Librarian, X (Fall 3 Parker, loc. cit. 1960), 130. 4W. S. Dix, "Library Service to Undergraduates: 9 W. W. Kuhn, "Princeton's New Julian Street Undergraduate Libraries," CRL, XIV (July 1953), 271. Library," CRL, XXIII (November 1962), 504. 146 / College b- Research Libraries • March 1968 in September, 1962;10 the University of house one hundred fifty thousand vol- Texas, in 1963;11 and the University of umes and provide intimate reading and North Carolina, which is scheduled to study areas for the undergraduate stu- open its new Robert B. House under- dents of that university.17 graduate library in September 1968.12 The Berkeley campus of the Universi- In addition, the University of Illinois ty of California is also in the planning has completed plans for an undergrad- process and expects to complete an uate library to be opened on its Urbana undergraduate library in 1968.18 campus in 1968. This library will be Farther up the coast, the University of different in that it will be partly under- Washington is undergoing similar de- ground and will have a tunnel connect- velopments. In 1962 it began to develop ing it to the central library.13 The Uni- an undergraduate book collection, which versity of Oklahoma is in the first phase eventually will consist of about one of planning a new undergraduate library hundred thousand titles. Initially, this building.14 Other universities also under- collection is housed in the undergradu- going this first phase are Yale15 and the ate reading room of the Suzzallo library; University of Wisconsin.16 however, it is eventually to be trans- In the Pacific Coast area, univerities ferred to a separate undergraduate li- also have been tending toward this same brary building which will be constructed pattern of development'. In February near the Suzzallo library.19 1966, upon completion of the first phase of a five-year remodeling program, HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT UCLA opened the doors of its college li- brary as a separate library for under- What are the circumstances that led graduates. The old red-brick campus to the establishment of separate under- landmark became a specific facility for graduate libraries? In order to provide the undergraduate student, housing a background for the problem of library working collection of books carefully se- service to undergraduate students, it is lected to meet his needs and offering necessary to look back to the time when staff and services specifically aimed to most university libraries were small and serve him. Across campus, a new and were either informal or were organized modern research library rises five floors for service on the alcove principle. This to provide for the graduate students and situation existed generally from the research. founding of American universities to the beginning of the twentieth century. Col- Late in 1966 Stanford University lections were small, the proportion of opened its new $4,870,000 library for graduate students was small, and the li- undergraduates. This three-story build- brary served both the graduate and the ing of striking design will ultimately undergraduate more or less equally. Li- brary service as we know it today did 10 Cornell University Library. Annual Report not exist, and the librarian was mainly a 1962/63.
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