1951
The Gray Herbarium deposited more than 300 pre-Linnaean books in Houghton Library.162
1951
Renovations in Widener included the expansion of storage space in the Winsor Memorial Map Room, the installation of fluorescent lights in many parts of the building, the addition of more radiators in the stacks, and the installation of exhaust fans in several rooms, including the Photographic Department’s dark room. The roof was also repaired.163
Spring 1952
Widener Library opened a coffee lounge for faculty and students.164
1953-1954
A new fireproof building (with steel shelving and humidity and temperature control) was constructed to house portions of the Gray Herbarium, Arnold Arboretum, Ames Orchid, and paleobotanical collections.165
1954
Lazella Schwarten was appointed librarian of the Arnold Arboretum and the Gray Herbarium. In addition to extensive cataloging she oversaw regular treatment of the collections’ leather bindings with preservative.166
1956
Widener and other Harvard libraries (excepting Lamont) were opened to all Radcliffe undergraduates.167
September 1957
Widener opened a Microtext Reading Room to centralize much of the microform collection in one air-conditioned space.168
1957-1958
Widener began to bind together pamphlets on a particular subject and then to classify and shelve them accordingly, as opposed to previous practice of leaving them unbound in boxes, where “many of them disappeared and many others were damaged.”169
1957-1958
The Radcliffe Library was “unbearably crowded, dirty, and noisy” due to continuing growth of the student body.170
April 16, 1958
The Harvard University Bindery was sold because outside companies offered competitive pricing. Paul H. Buck, Director of the University Library and Librarian of Harvard College, wrote: “Repair work will continue to be done in Widener. A new multiple form has been developed that promises to increase the efficiency of operations in the College Library's Binding Records Section.” The Bindery was sold to Samuel H. Donnell, Class of 1937, who renamed it the New England Bookbinding Company.171
Late 1950s
Concerns grew about poor-quality paper and brittle books. Paul H. Buck wrote of the University Library: “Some of its holdings, if they are to be preserved, must be filmed before the paper on which they are printed turns to dust.”172
1958-1959
Allen B. Veaner was appointed Specialist in Documentary Reproduction in the University Library. He was responsible for the Microtext Reading Room, the Photographic Library, and coordinating photographic reproduction throughout the University Library.173
1958-1959
Lamont, Widener, and Radcliffe Libraries instituted a uniform system of fines.174
1959-1960
The Association of Research Libraries started a Committee on the Preservation of Research Library Materials. Douglas W. Bryant and Edwin E. Williams (both of Harvard) were chairman and secretary, respectively.175
1959-1960
A Master Microfilm Collection of negatives was established. The collection would be stored under good physical conditions, in the basement of Lamont, and only used to produce positive film use copies.176
1959-1960
The Medical School Library installed a Haloid Xerox office copying machine—“an electrostatic device that will produce a copy of a page in less than one minute”—for patron use. The following year, the Medical School Library would purchase a second photocopying machine and Widener would purchase one as well. Many libraries, such as those of the Arnold Arboretum and the Graduate School of Business Administration, began to fill interlibrary loan requests with Xeroxes or microfilm reproductions.177
References
162 Reed C. Rollins, “Gray Herbarium,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1951-1952 (1954): 279.
163 “News of the Libraries,” Harvard Library Bulletin 5, no. 3 (1951): 385-386.
164 Francis M. Rogers, “Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1952-1953 (1955): 159.
165 I. W. Bailey, “Institute for Research in General Plant Morphology,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1952-1953 (1955): 240; I. W. Bailey, “Institute for Research in General Plant Morphology,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1953-1954 (1955): 298.
166 Reed C. Rollins, “Gray Herbarium,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1954-1955 (1956): 359; Richard A. Howard, “The Arnold Arboretum,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1954-1955 (1956): 406-407.
167 Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, “Records of the Radcliffe College Library, 1881-1983: A Finding Aid.”
168 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1957-1958 (1959): 439.
169 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1957-1958 (1959): 438.
170 Ruth K. Porritt, “The Library,” Reports of officers issue 1957-1958 (1958): 59.
171 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1957-1958 (1959): 438-439; “The Harvard Bindery,” Harvard Library Bulletin 12, no. 3 (1958): 424-425; Weber, “Harvard University Bindery Sold,” 1659-1661.
172 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1958-1959 (1960): 414.
173 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1958-1959 (1960): 424.
174 Ruth K. Porritt, “The Library,” Reports of officers issue 1958-1959 (1959): 59-60. 175 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1959-1960 (1961): 525.
176 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1959-1960 (1961): 525-526.
177 Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1959-1960 (1961): 533; Paul H. Buck, “University Library,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1960-1961 (1962): 449; Richard A. Howard, “Arnold Arboretum,” Report of the President of Harvard College and reports of departments 1961-1962 (1963): 622.