Metcalf Renews Library Relations In European Tour

In a visit of more than ten European countries this summer, Keyes D. Metcalf, director of the University Library System, re-established old contacts with European booksellers--some unheard from for 20 years--and talked to Farmington plan agents about their library problems.

The Farmington plan, sponsored by the Committee of the Association of Research Libraries, of which Mr. Metcalf is chairman, is a cooperative group which enables American Libraries to obtain specialized monographs. Each library stores these books--of little interest to anyone other than graduate students. Widener's subjects range from Arikaans Literature to Frisian language.

Expansion Plans

Mr. Metcalf hopes to get Western Germany and Austria in the plan but only if agents can do a "complete job" and not be hindered by police officials. This, he says, is why the plan does not extend to Russia.

For graduate students interested in obtaing books by this plan, a complete list of subjects covered is given in "The Farmington Plan" of the Harvard Library Bullotin, obtainable at Widener.