# 1951-1960 ## expand\_more ### **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.