Library Grows

The addition of 15,958 volumes during the academic year 1933-34 has brought the total number of books in Baker Memorial Library up to 386,636, it was reported recently by Prof. Frank M. Anderson, chairman of the faculty library committee. The decrease of 8,713 from the number of additions during the previous year was explained by the rising cost of foreign books and the decrease in income from the Sanborn and other special funds.

A decline in the circulation of books was more marked among the faculty than among the undergraduates, Professor Anderson reported. Books circulated during the academic year 1933-34 totaled 285,000, in comparison with 297,000 for the previous vear.

Notable gains during the year were made in filling the gaps in existing sets. An especially valuable addition was made in the 333-volume set of Le Correspondant, perhaps the best spokesman of French liberal Catholic opinion and which, during its long history from 1843 to 1933. has been ranked among the most important of French reviews.

A notable addition in the field of drama is the collection of 10,000 French and English plays purchased from Barrett H. Clark, well-known authority on the drama.

The library report disclosed that a total of $20,190 had been spent on periodicals during the year 1933-34. Although the cost of this service rose $6,057 above the expenditure of the previous year, the Library did not adopt the widespread practice of cancelling subscriptions to foreign periodicals.

A valuable addition to the possession of the Archives Room was received from Mrs. Gamaliel Bradford, who presented the College with a brass-studded dispatch case bearing the initials of Daniel Webster and 23 letters and documents written by Webster or relating to him.

An average of 240 daily visitors viewed the Orozco murals during the past summer, Professor Anderson disclosed in his report. It was also brought out that 20,500 volumes had passed through the hands of library cataloguers during the past year. Two new library organizations were formed during the past year, The Tower and the Daniel Oliver Associates, the latter being named after the first undergraduate donor of books.