University of Virginia Library

Alderman Gifts

Although it has been but a short time since
we and others have become gravely concerned
over the sad decline of Alderman Library,
there have been some heartening responses
from many individuals and groups, of which
one of the more notable was from the Seven
Society, which recently contributed $1,777
for the purchase of new books. Perhaps more
important than the actual money contributed
by that Society is the prestige they gave to
the cause of Alderman Library. The Seven
Society is a group which is respected both on
the Grounds and in Richmond, and their
concern for the Library adds a great deal of
legitimacy to the cries of students and faculty
who contend that the Library is in a state of
rapid decline.

The ultimate solution to the problems of
Alderman Library is not the contributions of
groups or individuals. No one person or
organization in this community is affluent
enough to give the type of continued support
a major research library requires over a
number of years.

Although even the undergraduate who has
chosen to do a term paper on a recent
historical event or on modern literature can
tell you that Alderman Library has an
inadequate collection of recent books, the
recent statistics released by the Association
of Research Libraries indicate a sharp decline
in the total number of volumes over a
one-year period. We have dropped from 26th
to 28th out of 76 university research libraries
in the United States and Canada, and may
drop to 30th this year. In total expenditures
for books, Alderman Library has plunged
from a ranking of 42nd in last year's report to
50th in the current listing.

If the Library is allowed to decline for a
few more years it will take an infusion of
tremendous amounts of money to put it back
among the leaders in growth. The quality of
most schools is measured, in large part, by the
quality of the faculty. Without the library to
support the research of young professors, the
University will be unable to obtain the
professors it needs to remain a first-class
school.

This University has to put the needs of
Alderman Library high on its list of priorities
and all of us, students, faculty, and
administrators have the tough job of
convincing the money men in Richmond that
the decline of Alderman is serious indeed.