The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, October 26, 1972 :: University of Virginia Library

The acute need for study
space is the library's most
pressing problem, Mr. Frantz
said. "A facility built for 3,000
students in 1938 is now serving
13,000 students."

English Prof. Lester
Beaurline outlined reasons
behind the dearth of study
space: "When Mr. Shannon
took his position as President
of the University, he sought to
elevate U.Va. to the standards
of a national university," the
former Library Committee
chairman said.

"He raised salaries to attract
better professors, and he raised
admissions requirements to
improve the quality of the
student.

"The library system was
understandably neglected.
However, now that we have the
material, we must have the
tools to support such a
university."

Self-Education Unavailable

English Prof. Eric D. Hirsch
Jr., current Library Committee
chairman, said the possibility
of self-education in Alderman
in not available due to
over-crowded conditions. He
commented that "to browse
and wander through a library is
unfeasible when hundreds of
students are combing the
stacks for research material."

Mr. Frantz said that because
of the monopoly held by
graduate students on much of
the research materials, the
undergraduate is neglected by
the present Alderman Library
system.

Fear Arises

Controversy arose at the
meeting when the site of the
new undergraduate library was
discussed. Many attending the
meeting feared that Clark Hall
would become the permanent
undergraduate library when the
law school moves to its new
Copley Hill site.

This fear arose, participants
said, from the well-rumored
deal of President Shannon with
the state legislature concerning
the trade-off of funds for the
new law school if the needed
undergraduate library would be
put in Clark Hall, the old law
school.

Facilities Studied

In the first semester of the
1971-72 academic year, Keyes
Metcalf, Harvard University
Librarian Emeritus, was
retained to make a study of the
expansion of library facilities.

Clark Hall is "unsuitable" for
use as an undergraduate library
Mr. Metcalf said in his report.
Mr. Frantz backed this
conclusion Tuesday night,
saying that by 1980 the space
needed for the library will be
approximately 90,000 feet, as
opposed to Clark Hall's
maximum of 30,000 feet.

Clark Hall Inadequate

Clark Hall has study space
for only 300 people, although
Mr. Frantz predicts the
demand may rise to 2000.

"Put yourself in the place of
the user. Convenience is all
important," Mr. Frantz said.
He attacked the Clark Hall site,
saying it would be frustrating
for the student to walk back
and forth from Clark to
Alderman collecting research
materials. It would also be a
financial burden to staff two
separate libraries.

Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Frantz and
other suggested alleviation of
Clark Hall problems could be
brought about by building a
new library in the area
immediately in front of
Alderman as an underground
structure. College Dean Irby B.
Cauthen said such a project
would cost about $3.5 million.

The nearest possible
completion date for any new
library would be 1980, the
panel said. Because of the
pressing need for an
undergraduate library, Clark
Hall could be used as a
temporary facility.