University of Virginia Library

Clark Hall Controversy

History Of A Non-Existent Library

News Analysis

By STEVE GRIMWOOD

—Ed.)

After the release of the Association of
Research Libraries statistical analysis two
years ago, the apparent deficiencies of
Alderman Library became officially
obvious. In total expenditures, Alderman
ranked fortieth among the 58 ARL
member libraries and fell nearly one
million dollars under the ARL average.

In an apparent response to this, a
sudden burst of spending increased
Alderman's stature dramatically. Its
ranking rose to thirty-one and total

expenditures are now only $330,000
below the ARL average.

But one major problem that is still
facing the library and, in effect, the
student body and faculty of the
University is the serious lack of space in
Alderman and throughout the entire
University library system.

As Ray Frantz, University Librarian,
expressed it in the University Library's
Annual Report for 1970-1971: "Space
shortages in Alderman remain critical in
all departments. The general stacks are
nearing capacity. Work space of related
areas is often fragmented among different
parts of the building. Except for the new
stack addition, the Alderman Library is
relatively unchanged since 1938."

The history of library expansion since
the building of the new stack addition
which began in 1965 is relatively
muddled. Plans and proposals of all sorts
have been considered, but the primary
theme has been the construction or
creation of an undergraduate library.

The composition, financing and
especially the location of the library have
been a main point of debate for the last
five years. And, at the present, it will be a
minimum of three years more before any
actual construction will begin.

In 1963, Russell Bailey was retained
by the University to make a general
survey and recommendations for the
growth of the University Library. Among
his recommendations was that the
undergraduate library be placed next to
Alderman, on the site of the old Biology
Building (Peabody Hall).

His reasons were two-fold. The closer
an undergraduate library is to the main
library, the less the cost of duplication of
materials and services. Also, the nearer an
undergraduate library is to the main
building the more convenient it is for
undergraduates to go beyond the limited
collections to the more demanding
graduate collections.

Peabody Site

John Wyllie, then University
Librarian, was also in favor of placing the
undergraduate library in the Peabody
Annex. In 1966, an architectural firm
from Boston was brought in to study the
possibilities. They also placed the
undergraduate library on the site of
Peabody Hall, but also recommended that
a series of arches and columns be erected,
running from present graduate Business
School, around in front of Peabody Hall,
and culminating on the front of
Alderman.

This would have, in effect, created a
unified quadrangle of the entire area and
would also have been more than
harmonious with the existing
architectural plan. One of the more
intriguing ideas presented, this plan was
abandoned. A model, of it, however, is
still on display in the planning office.

Apparently, it was soon after this that
the administration chose Clark Hall to be
the site for the new undergraduate
library. The exact date of the decision is