National Asset

Dartmouth's acquisition of the Stefansson library, probably the greatest in the world on the polar regions, was made possible through the generosity of Albert Bradley '15 of Greenwich, Conn., executive vice president of General Motors Corporation. Mr. Bradley gave the funds enabling the College to purchase the collection from Vilhjalmur Stefansson, who had assembled his library over a period of thirty years and had agreed to have it on deposit in Baker Library since December 1951. Permanent addition of the collection to Dartmouth's library resources was im- portant news in the world of scholarship. It gave the College a definite preeminence as a center of northern studies and made the collection available as an invaluable national asset to be used in the development of the world's northern regions.

In commenting on the purchase of the Stefansson library, President Dickey said, "It is the great good fortune of Dartmouth, and, indeed, of the nation that this internationally prized collection on the far north is now assured of remaining here where it will be readily available to American, Canadian, and other scholars as a part of Dartmouth's projected Northern Studies Program."

The Stefansson Collection contains 25,000 volumes, 20,000 pamphlets and many valuable manuscripts, dealing with the Arctic, the Antarctic and the permafrost areas of the world, both geographically and culturally. It includes information on the science, music, history, linguistics and folklore of these regions.

It has been estimated that one out of five published items in the collection is not to be found in the Library of Con- gress, and that 40% of the collection's Russian material on the arctic zone is equally rare. In addition, there is a large amount of unpublished material dealing with the northern frontier. The collection has been used extensively by the United States military services in the compilation of arctic manuals and guide books.

F. Cyril James, principal and vice-chan-cellor of McGill University, Montreal, in congratulating Dartmouth on the acquisition, told college officials: "Nothing could be happier than the fact that the collection will be permanently established at Dartmouth College, with which, in many fields of activity, we have so long enjoyed a neighborly relationship. McGill University is eager to collaborate with you in the programme of Arctic Studies that you are developing."