Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-09-17

ana us ldIluSCdplIlB, WHICH, HIS USe
part of the architectural plan
Within, one is impressed by the air
of spaciousness and light. and by
the efficiency of the arrangements
and facilities for library service.
The new library is the gift of the
late Abram Lisner, for many years
a member of the university's Board
of Trustees. 1t forms the central
unit and completes the group of
buildings on the G street side OF
the university quadrangle. Rising
to six stories, it is connected by
archWays with the four story build
ingS that adlOin it on either side
the Biological Science Building, on
the west, and the Social Science Hall
on the east. All are of concrete con-
struction, faced with brick painted
light ivory.
Presidents Suggestion.
The library embodies many of the
ideas and suggestions of President
Cloyd H. Marvin, who has taken
an active and creative part in the
conception and execution of plans,
not only for this building, but for
every one of the five new halls that
have been erected under his ad-
ministration during the past five
years.
Unlike many library structures,
which, as one librarian ruefully de-
clared, ARE completed and occu-
Mind hnfN,-o viz te 0PE oio 1lx,
informed that he is to have a new
building" the Lisner Library was
planned in close consultation with
the university librarian, John Rus
sell Mason. Before plans were
drawn by the architect, Waldron
Faulkner, Librarian Mason visited
more than 40 libraries at colleges
and universities throughout the
country to study the latest in library
design and service.
The whole ideal behind the plan
ming of the building has been to
produce not an ornamental mauSo-
leum for the storage of books, but
an inviting and efficient laboratory
where the student is inspired to use
the tools of study.
In my visits to libraries in vari-
GUS parts of the country saw many
more costly structures, but none
better suited to its purposes Mr..
Mason says. His enthusiasm is
shared by librarians elsewhere,
many of whom have expressed their
warm approval.
The building is entered on the
ground floor at a lower level than
the main floor of the f1anking units,
the entrance opening into a lobby.
Here the university's copy of the
famous Houdon statue of George
Washington, now in the university
yard, is to be placed.
On the first floor are the reserve
book reading room, the periodical
room and browsing room for lei
sure time reading.
Main Reading Room.
The main reading room is two
stories high and occupies the north
side of the second and third floors,
its large windows overlooking the
university yard. Also on the second
floor are the loan desk, the bibli-
ography room, staff work rooms and
the librarians office
Staff Offices and second reserve
book room are located on the third
floor Leading from this floor are
corridors connecting the library
with the Biological Science Building
and the Social Science Hall.
On the fourth floor are 10 SEM
inar rooms, and here also is the
vault where rare books are kept.
The Offices of the Graduate
Council (the university division
which administers work for the de-
gree of doctor Of philosophy and
study desks for graduate students
are on the fifth floor.
On the sixth floor. from which a
beautiful view of the city and the
Potomac River is to be had, are the
meeting and committee rooms of
the board of trustees.
Extending from the basement
through the fourth floor on the
east side of the building are eight
tiers of book stacks Pneumatic
tubes leading from the loan desk
to each tier of the stacks dispatch
call slips for books, and there are