Library and Tower Room

In answer to an editorial in The Dartmouth Prof. N. L. Goodrich, the librarian, very graciously announced the extension of the library closing hour to eleven at night. This is a very generous accommodation when one remembers the closing hour of other college libraries. Widener at Harvard for instance shuts up at five-thirty in the afternoon. How much the library is being used between the old hour of ten and the present hour of eleven has not yet been ascertained. Undoubtedly the advance was of material use to students reviewing for the semester examinations.

The attendance at the Tower Room in the Baker Library since its opening this fall has been taken on several different occasions by the library attendants. These figures, which were arrived at by taking the attendance each hour, totalling these figures and dividing by the number of hours, shows that at 8 p. m. the attendance is largest and at meal time smallest. Sunday shows the largest crowds.

For the fall period there has been an average morning and early afternoon attendance of between 10 and 20. The average for the latter part of the afternoon and evening was between 20 and 30 and the Sunday average was between 40 and 50.

It is also interesting to note that though part of the popularity of the room is undoubtedly due to the smoking privilege, never more than one-half of the occupants avail themselves of the opportunity. Since its opening only three cigarette butts have been seen on the Tower Room floor.

The Tower Room now is no longer the only room in which smoking is allowed as it is also permitted in reading rooms in the basement. As a result less pressure has been put on the Tower Room with many using stairs rooms instead.