Reserve Book Plans Studied

A plan to change the reserve book system and ease overcrowding in Lamont Library is being considered by a special Student Council committee on libraries. If adopted, the program could lead to circulation of reserve books outside the library during the day.

According to Eugene H. Zagat, Jr. '61, chairman of the committee, studies of systems at other college libraries have shown that many plans are more flexible than Lamont's. Zagat envisions a system which would allow undergraduates to take reserve books out of the library for specified three-hour periods during the day. Books would then circulate for overnight use at 9 p.m.

Under the current system, reserve books circulate for use outside the library only after 9 p.m. Too often, the library staff feels, students borrow these books early in the morning and hide them somewhere in the stacks during the day to be sure of having a book overnight.

Would Relieve Crowding

The new policy would insure that a certain amount of reserve books would be available every three hours, and thus eliminate the practice of hiding them. It would also relieve crowding in Lamont, since students would be able to study reserve books in their rooms during the day.

Also proposed is a series of sporadic, unannounced spot checks to see that only University people are using the library.

The use of Lamont by students from other schools has been a constant source of irritation to the library staff.