University of Virginia Library

Library Adds Funds
To Book Budget

By Philip Kimball
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

The book budget of the Alderman
Library has been increased by $325,000,
announced University Librarian Ray
Frantz yesterday.

The addition represents a 56 per cent
increase over the original amount which is
budgeted solely for the acquisition of
books, periodicals and other related
materials. The acquisition department
had first been allowed $578,935 of the
library's total budget of approximately
$1,800,000.

Funds

The funds are part of the regular
educational and general expenditure
budget of the University and were
allocated to the library when a surplus in
the overall budget was discovered.

Mr. Frantz stated that with the
additional money Alderman Library "is
beginning to approach the average expenditures
of other colleges and universities in the
Association of Research Libraries." The library
presently ranks twenty-eighth in the country
for the number of volumes owned. Mr. Frantz
continued to say that with the additional
money the library "will begin to rank with the
finest in the country."

Problems

Mr. Frantz said he felt that for years the
University's principal library had been "lagging
behind the libraries of other great universities."
He further stated that now with the additional
books the University will be able to attract
more highly qualified faculty.

Because the additional funds can only be
spent for books and other related material, Mr.
Frantz stated that the library is still faced with
problems such as staff shortages and lack of
space. He said he hoped that eventually there
would be a western addition to the present
library and separate science and undergraduate
libraries.

"With these added libraries," stated Mr.
Frantz, "the University will be able to
decentralize its collection along subject related
lines as the Fine Arts library is doing now."

He continued to say however that he was
glad that the area of primary concern to the
library had been dealt with.

Mr. Lester Beaurline, chairman of the
University committee on the library, stated that
the committee had compared the Alderman
Library with the library of Rutgers University
because they were the same size in terms of
total volumes. They found that Alderman
library spent far less on new acquisitions than
the comparable library.

"In our report to the president," stated Mr.
Beaurline, "we have placed special emphasis on
increasing the book budget for the past two
years."

Mr. Frantz stated that efforts on the part of
students, such as the Student Library
Committee and newspaper editorials, had
helped dramatize the library's needs to the
University community.