College and Research Libraries B y W I L L I A M A . J A C K S O N Rare Books at Harvard Mr. Jackson holds the posts of assistant li- brarian in charge of rare books and pro- fessor of bibliography at Harvard Univer- sity and has been in charge of the Hough- ton Library since its opening in the spring of 1941. THE BOOKS w h i c h S i r K e n e l m D i g b y g a v e H a r v a r d C o l l e g e in 1 6 5 5 w e r e a l l , w i t h one e x c e p t i o n , u n h a p p i l y b u r n e d in the f i r e of 1 7 6 4 . F r o m the list of t h e m w h i c h has c o m e d o w n to us t h e y w e r e a p p a r e n t l y r a t h e r s o l i d , p a t r i o t i c tomes, w h i c h v e r y l i k e l y w e r e b o u n d in the same h a n d s o m e c a l f or m o r o c c o , d e c o r a t e d w i t h his c i p h e r , as w e r e the books w h i c h he g a v e to the B o d l e i a n or those w h i c h o c c u r o c c a s i o n a l l y on the m a r k e t f r o m his li- b r a r y , seized by the K i n g of F r a n c e on his d e a t h . I f w e t r a c e the v i c i s s i t u d e s t h r o u g h w h i c h t h e s i n g l e s u r v i v i n g v o l u m e has passed, w e m a y h a v e some n o t i o n of the reasons f o r the c h a n g i n g m e a n s by w h i c h the m o r e v a l u a b l e b o o k s b e l o n g i n g to the c o l l e g e h a v e been p r o t e c t e d . I n 1 6 6 7 the first set of " R u l e s f o r the L i b r a r y K e e p e r " p r o v i d e d " T h e r e s h a l l be no l e n d i n g o r r e m o v i n g o u t of the L i b r a r y the n e w G l o b e s or b o o k s of e x t r a o r d i n a r y v a l l u e b u t w i t h v e r y g r e a t c a u t i o n & u p o n e x t r a o r d i n a r y o c c a s i o n . " W h e t h e r at t h a t t i m e such b o o k s w e r e s e g r e g a t e d or espe- c i a l l y m a r k e d w e do n o t k n o w , b u t l a t e r w e l e a r n t h a t a t the a n n u a l i n s p e c t i o n of the V i s i t i n g C o m m i t t e e " p r o h i b i t e d " b o o k s w e r e r e m o v e d f r o m t h e i r closet a n d p u t on the s h e l v e s in t h e i r p l a c e s f o r the d a y . F u r t h e r m o r e , in 1 7 6 4 , w h e n N a t h a n i e l H u r d m a d e H a r v a r d ' s first b o o k p l a t e , some copies w e r e s t r u c k off w i t h red ink to be a f f i x e d to the books of special v a l u e . U n t i l 1840, w h e n G o r e H a l l w a s c o m - p l e t e d , the m a j o r d a n g e r s f r o m w h i c h H a r v a r d ' s books n e e d e d to be p r o t e c t e d w e r e fire, t h e f t , c a r e l e s s h a n d l i n g , b i n d e r s ' k n i v e s , and the f o r t u n e s of w a r . T h e losses s u f f e r e d in t h e fire of 1 7 6 4 a r e w e l l k n o w n ; losses of the m o r e v a l u a b l e books, or r a t h e r of w h a t t h e n w e r e c o n s i d e r e d the m o r e v a l u a b l e , by t h e f t or c a r e l e s s h a n d l i n g w e r e p r e s u m a b l y k e p t to a m i n i - m u m by the " c l o s e t " s y s t e m . T h e b i n d e r s , h o w e v e r , w e r e a m o r e serious h a z a r d . T h e l e a t h e r w h i c h t h e y used w a s e v i d e n t l y a l o c a l p r o d u c t , a n d t h e i r h a n d i w o r k , w h i l e p l e a s a n t in a p p e a r a n c e , has n o t gen- e r a l l y been as l o n g l a s t i n g as m o s t E u r o p e a n b i n d i n g s of the same p e r i o d . I n the case of the s u r v i v i n g D i g b y v o l u m e , w h i c h a p p a r - e n t l y w a s r e b o u n d a b o u t 1800, n o t o n l y h a v e the h i n g e s c r a c k e d b u t , f a r w o r s e , the m o t t o a n d s i g n a t u r e of the d o n o r , w r i t t e n at the top of the t i t l e p a g e , h a v e been b a d l y c r o p p e d . O n e c a n n o t f o r b e a r s u s p e c t i n g t h a t the o r i g i n a l D i g b y b i n d i n g m i g h t h a v e been r e p a i r e d w i t h p r o p e r c a r e a n d m a t e r i a l s . F i n a l l y , w e n o w h a v e n o m e a n s of k n o w i n g w h a t m a y h a v e been the losses a n d d a m a g e s u f f e r e d w h e n in 1 7 7 5 the l i b r a r y w a s d i s m a n t l e d and re- m o v e d to C o n c o r d a n d A n d o v e r . G o r e H a l l w i t h its e x t e n s i o n s a n d " m o d e r n i m p r o v e m e n t s , " t o g e t h e r w i t h the g r o w t h a n d i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i o n of C a m - DECEMBER, 1943 31 H O U G H T O N L I B R A R Y b r i d g e , p r e s e n t e d n e w p r o b l e m s a n d h a z - a r d s . A l t h o u g h a f i r e p r o o f b u i l d i n g ac- c o r d i n g to the s t a n d a r d s of t h a t d a y , it h a d been r a t h e r c h e a p l y c o n s t r u c t e d , w i t h m o r e a t t e n t i o n to e x t e r n a l a r c h i t e c t u r e t h a n to s o l i d i t y a n d s o u n d n e s s . F o r e x a m p l e , it h a d o n l y s i n g l e w a l l s w h i c h p e r m i t t e d con- d e n s a t i o n a n d m o i s t u r e , a c o n d i t i o n t o w h i c h p r e v i o u s l y H a r v a r d ' s b o o k s h a d n o t been s u b j e c t e d a n d of w h i c h a l l t o o m a n y v o l u m e s t e s t i f y t h a t L i b r a r i a n S i b l e y ' s c o m p l a i n t s on t h a t score w e r e m o r e t h a n j u s t i f i e d . T h e c a s t - i r o n s t a c k s w h i c h w e r e e r e c t e d in t h e a d d i t i o n of 1 8 7 5 a n d of w h i c h s o m e r e m n a n t s r e m a i n in the M u - s e u m of C o m p a r a t i v e Z o o l o g y , w e r e of o r - n a m e n t a l , V i c t o r i a n d e s i g n a n d p r i c k l y w i t h p r o j e c t i o n s , bolts, a n d r o u g h n e s s e s w h i c h w e r e n o t e n t i r e l y e l i m i n a t e d f r o m H a r v a r d ' s s h e l v i n g u n t i l t h e e r e c t i o n of t h e s t a c k s d e s c r i b e d b e l o w . I t is n e a r l y m i r a c u l o u s , f o r e x a m p l e , t h a t a l a r g e - p a p e r 32 set of W a l t o n ' s Polyglot in fine c o n t e m p o - r a r y m o r o c c o , r e c e n t l y t r a n s f e r r e d f r o m o p e n s t a c k s , has s u r v i v e d a l m o s t u n - s c r a t c h e d . Atmospheric Conditions F a r m o r e d a n g e r o u s , h o w e v e r , w e r e the i n t r o d u c t i o n of s t e a m h e a t in 1 8 7 5 a n d the d i r t a n d a t m o s p h e r i c a c i d s w h i c h a r e a c o n c o m i t a n t of m o d e r n c i t y l i f e — t h e C h a m b e r of C o m m e r c e n o w describes C a m b r i d g e as t h e t h i r d i n d u s t r i a l c i t y of N e w E n g l a n d . T h e s t e a m h e a t r e d u c e d s t i l l f u r t h e r the l o w h u m i d i t y n o r m a l to a N e w E n g l a n d w i n t e r a n d i n c r e a s e d t h e v a r i a t i o n b e t w e e n t h e d r y n e s s of w i n t e r a n d t h e d a m p n e s s of s u m m e r , w i t h o n l y t o o e v i d e n t d e t e r i o r a t i o n a n d w a r p i n g of l e a t h e r a n d v e l l u m b i n d i n g s . U n t i l the i n t r o d u c t i o n of c e n t r a l h e a t , t h e c o n d i t i o n s in t h e H a r v a r d l i b r a r y in this r e s p e c t p r e - s u m a b l y w e r e n o t m u c h d i f f e r e n t f r o m COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES V those o b t a i n i n g in a E u r o p e a n c o u n t r y house. T h e p o l l u t e d air aided in t h e dis- i n t e g r a t i o n of the b i n d i n g s a n d , e v e n m o r e serious, of the p a p e r a n d i n k . T h e d a m - a g e c a u s e d by t h i s c o n d i t i o n is o f t e n diffi- c u l t to m e a s u r e a n d , i n d e e d , v a r i e s g r e a t l y a c c o r d i n g to the c h e m i c a l c o m p o s i t i o n of the p a p e r . W h i l e m a n y of the o l d e s t b o o k s s h o w l i t t l e s i g n s of d e t e r i o r a t i o n , t h e r e a r e l a r g e n u m b e r s of s e v e n t e e n t h c e n t u r y C e n t r a l E u r o p e a n b o o k s a n d some p o p u l a r l i t e r a t u r e of a l l c o u n t r i e s f r o m the e a r l i e s t times, of w h i c h t h e p a p e r is b a d l y d i s c o l o r e d a n d w e a k . T h i s is, of c o u r s e , d u e m o r e to the p o o r q u a l i t y of t h e p a p e r used t h a n t o the a c i d s in the a i r , b u t if these books, a n d a l a r g e p o r t i o n of the b o o k s of t h e l a s t h u n d r e d y e a r s w h i c h w e or p o s t e r i t y m a y c o n s i d e r m o s t v a l u a b l e , a r e to be p r e s e r v e d at a l l , it m u s t be u n d e r c o n d i t i o n s w h i c h w i l l p r o t e c t the p a p e r f r o m a l l h a r m f u l a g e n t s . T h e p r o v i s i o n s m a d e f o r t h e c a r e of r a r e b o o k s in t h e H a r r y E l k i n s W i d e n e r M e - m o r i a l L i b r a r y , w h i c h w a s c o m p l e t e d in 1 9 1 5 , w i t h one e x c e p t i o n , d i f f e r e d o n l y in s i z e f r o m those of G o r e H a l l . F o r t h e f i r s t t i m e , a special r e a d i n g r o o m w a s p r o - v i d e d w h e r e the b o o k s a n d m a n u s c r i p t s c o u l d b e c o n s u l t e d u n d e r s u p e r v i s i o n . T h e r e w a s a p r i m i t i v e f o r m of air c o n d i - t i o n i n g , it is t r u e , a n d s o m e w h a t l a t e r a h u m i d i f y i n g s p r a y e r w a s i n s t a l l e d in the s t a c k s , b u t t h e e q u i p m e n t c o u l d n o t c o p e w i t h the g r e a t l y i n c r e a s i n g d i r t a n d h a r m - f u l gases in t h e a i r . Houghton Library B y 1 9 4 0 t h e c o l l e c t i o n s s e g r e g a t e d in t h e T r e a s u r e R o o m n u m b e r e d o v e r one h u n - d r e d t h o u s a n d v o l u m e s a n d o c c u p i e d p o r - tions of t h r e e l e v e l s of the W i d e n e r s t a c k s . A t t h a t t i m e an a l u m n u s , A r t h u r A m o r y H o u g h t o n , J r . , by his u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d m u n i f i c e n c e , m a d e possible the e r e c t i o n of the H o u g h t o n L i b r a r y f o r the c a r e of the r a r e b o o k s a n d m a n u s c r i p t s of H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y , a n d t h e b u i l d i n g w a s f o r m a l l y o p e n e d the end of F e b r u a r y 1 9 4 2 . A l t h o u g h , because of i m p e n d i n g s h o r t - ages, the c o n s t r u c t i o n w a s s o m e w h a t r u s h e d , the g e n e r a l d e s i g n a n d a l m o s t a l l the special f e a t u r e s h a v e p r o v e d t h e i r u t i l i - ty a n d p r a c t i c a b i l i t y , so t h a t t h e r e is v e r y l i t t l e t h a t w e n o w m i g h t p r e f e r h a d been d o n e d i f f e r e n t l y . T h e d a n g e r s t h a t h a v e a l w a y s been p r e s e n t in the m i n d s of cus- t o d i a n s of r a r e b o o k c o l l e c t i o n s h a v e been p r o v i d e d a g a i n s t b y , in s o m e cases, n o v e l m e t h o d s . F o r e x a m p l e , since t h e b u i l d i n g is of C l a s s A c o n s t r u c t i o n t h r o u g h o u t w e a r e n o t m u c h w o r r i e d a b o u t f i r e . T h e d a n g e r of d a m a g e f r o m w a t e r has been g u a r d e d a g a i n s t by reason of the i n c h a n d a h a l f of c o r k a n d a s p h a l t u m w h i c h c o v e r s a l l o u t s i d e w a l l s , b a s e m e n t floor, a n d r o o f , w h i l e a l l h o r i z o n t a l r u n s of w a t e r pipes h a v e b e n e a t h t h e m w i d e c o p p e r t r a y s w h i c h w o u l d b o t h c a r r y off t h e w a t e r f r o m a l e a k a n d g i v e w a r n i n g of the f a c t t h a t a l e a k h a d s t a r t e d . T r a p d o o r s h a v e been p r o v i d e d a t a l l t u r n s in t h e pipes so t h a t r e p a i r w o r k c a n , if e v e r it s h o u l d be n e e d e d , be c a r r i e d o u t e x p e d i t i o u s l y . T h r e e of the six floors in the b u i l d i n g a r e o p e n to t h e p u b l i c , b u t the s t a i r s a n d d o o r s a r e so a r r a n g e d t h a t a l l b o o k s t o r a g e p a r t s of the b u i l d i n g a r e s e p a r a t e d f r o m the p u b l i c w i t h a m i n i m u m of l o c k e d d o o r s . T h e r e a d i n g r o o m , some t h i r t y - f i v e by f i f t y f e e t , has d o o r s w i t h e l e c t r i c l o c k s , w o r k e d f r o m t h e a t t e n d a n t s ' desk, w h i c h p r e v e n t a r e a d e r ' s l e a v i n g b e f o r e his b o o k s h a v e been r e t u r n e d . A g u a r d s t a t i o n e d at the o n l y p u b l i c e n t r a n c e e x a m i n e s a l l b a g s a n d m a y be w a r n e d f r o m s e v e r a l p a r t s of t h e b u i l d i n g by m e a n s of a b u z z e r . W e a r e n o w e x p e r i m e n t i n g w i t h i n v i s i b l e fluores- DECEMBER, 1943 33 c e n t m a r k i n g of the books a n d m a y soon be r e a d y to g i v e t h e m t h a t f u r t h e r p r o t e c t i o n a g a i n s t t h e f t . T h e s p e c i a l l y d e s i g n e d s h e l v e s are of steel, w i t h w e l l - r o u n d e d e d g e s a n d r u b b e d e n a m e l s e v e r a l c o a t s t h i c k . T h e y h a v e n o p r o j e c t i n g s c r e w h e a d s or o t h e r s h a r p c o r - ners. W e a r e as r a p i d l y as possible p u t - t i n g f r a g i l e b i n d i n g s in f o l d i n g box-cases a n d w e s h o u l d h a v e e x p e r i m e n t e d w i t h c u s h i o n e d p a t e n t l e a t h e r p a d s f o r w o r k i n g s u r f a c e s h a d n o t a w a r s h o r t a g e p r e v e n t e d . W e m a d e o u r o w n b o o k e n d s f r o m c a s t c o n c r e t e b r i c k s c o v e r e d w i t h c a r d b o a r d a n d b u c k r a m by the l i b r a r y b i n d e r y . T h e y h a v e been v e r y s a t i s f a c t o r y and t h e r e is no d a n g e r of t h e i r " k n i f i n g " a b o o k . B u t c a r e l e s s h a n d l i n g is s t i l l a h u m a n m a t t e r a n d w e are h u m a n . Air Conditioning T h e air c o n d i t i o n i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s h a v e been in use n o w f o r t w o y e a r s a n d w e h a v e been a b l e to o b s e r v e h o w a d e q u a t e t h e y a r e b o t h as r e c o r d e d by the i n s t r u m e n t s a n d as t h e y a f f e c t the b o o k s . T h e t e m p e r a t u r e t h r o u g h o u t t h e y e a r is a c o n s t a n t 7 0 ° , e x - c e p t o n a f e w of the h o t t e s t d a y s in s u m m e r w h e n it m a y rise to 7 5 0 . T h e h u m i d i t y is m a i n t a i n e d at 50, e x c e p t f o r a v e r y f e w d a y s in w i n t e r w h e n it m a y d r o p to 4 5 o r in s u m m e r w h e n it m a y rise to 5 5 . D u r i n g this p a s t s u m m e r , h o w e v e r , it n e v e r rose a b o v e 5 2 . U n d e r s u c h c o n d i t i o n s e v e n o l d c l o t h b i n d i n g s seemed to r e g a i n t h e i r y o u t h . T h e air is c l e a n e d by a t r i p l e process of w a s h i n g , f i l t e r i n g , a n d e l e c t r i c a l p r e c i p i t a - t i o n , w h i c h w h i l e n o t p e r f e c t is v e r y n e a r l y so. T h e books do need o c c a s i o n a l c l e a n i n g b u t n o t n e a r l y so m u c h as in f o r m e r t i m e s . T h e y a r e p r o t e c t e d f r o m the a c t i o n of s u n - l i g h t by r e a s o n of t h e f a c t t h a t in those sections of the b u i l d i n g w h e r e books a r e p r e s e r v e d v e r y f e w w i n d o w s a r e i n c l u d e d . T h i s w a s d o n e first of a l l because w e w i s h e d t o use a l l possible w a l l space f o r s t o r a g e b u t a l s o because w i t h air c o n d i - t i o n i n g w i n d o w s w e r e u n n e c e s s a r y a n d d i r e c t s u n l i g h t is n o t o r i o u s l y i n j u r i o u s to b i n d i n g s a n d p a p e r . Exhibit Space T h r o u g h o u t t h e b u i l d i n g the w a l l s in a l l r o o m s o p e n t o the p u b l i c h a v e been u t i l i z e d f o r the e x h i b i t i o n of b o o k c o l l e c - tions. A g o o d d e a l of t i m e a n d t h o u g h t has been e x p e n d e d on the a r r a n g e m e n t of these p e r m a n e n t e x h i b i t s , a n d a f t e r the w a r w e e x p e c t to h a v e an e v e n m o r e e l a b o - r a t e series of t h e m t h a n w e n o w h a v e . I n the e x h i b i t i o n r o o m p r o p e r , w h e r e o u r in- c u n a b u l a a n d m e d i e v a l m a n u s c r i p t s a r e k e p t b e h i n d g l a s s a r o u n d the w a l l s , w e h a v e p r o v i d e d special l i g h t i n g in the f o r m of Z y l o n t u b e s b e h i n d l o u v e r g l a s s , so ar- r a n g e d t h a t t h e y do n o t h e a t the b o o k s b u t t h r o w a s o f t l i g h t u p o n t h e m w i t h o u t t h e s o u r c e b e i n g e v i d e n t . T h e e x h i b i t i o n cases a r e l i g h t e d in m u c h the same w a y , a n d w h e n tested w i t h r e c o r d i n g i n s t r u m e n t s the l i g h t s h a v e f a i l e d t o a l t e r t h e t e m p e r a t u r e or h u m i d i t y one d e g r e e . W o r k space w a s p r o v i d e d f o r t h e staff of the p r e s e n t d a y , b u t it w a s p l a n n e d t h a t as o u r top floor is g r a d u a l l y o p e n e d u p w i t h r o o m s f o r special c o l l e c t i o n s these r o o m s w i l l be u t i l i z e d as offices f o r v a r i o u s m e m b e r s of t h e s t a f f , w h o w i l l l i k e w i s e s u p e r v i s e t h a t p a r t of t h e b u i l d i n g w h e n o p e n to the p u b l i c . I n s o f a r as w e h a v e e x p e r i m e n t e d w i t h t h a t m e t h o d of h o u s i n g the staff it a p p e a r s t h a t it w i l l be p r a c t i - c a b l e . W h e n the b u i l d i n g w a s o p e n e d t h e r e w a s shelf r o o m f o r a c o l l e c t i o n t w i c e t h e s i z e of t h a t w h i c h w a s p u t in it. W e h a d h o p e d t h a t the p r o v i s i o n of f a c i l i t i e s to c a r e f o r r a r e books p r o p e r l y w o u l d a d d to 34 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES I N T E R I O R V I E W OF H O U G H T O N L I B R A R Y the n u m b e r of g i f t s w h i c h w e m i g h t re- c e i v e . I t is a p p a r e n t t h a t t h a t has h a d a g r e a t i n f l u e n c e u p o n the g r o w t h of the li- b r a r y , a n d it is n o t u n l i k e l y t h a t the b u i l d - i n g w i l l be f i l l e d w i t h i n less t h a n f i f t e e n y e a r s . W i t h t h a t in m i n d , p r o v i s i o n has been m a d e in the f o u n d a t i o n s f o r pass- a g e to a d d i t i o n a l s t a c k s to be b u i l t u n d e r - g r o u n d . I f t h e y s h o u l d be c a l l e d f o r in a f e w y e a r s , t h e r e w i l l be m a n y p r o b l e m s t h e n to be s o l v e d , b u t t h e i r s o l u t i o n s h o u l d be a h a p p y b u r d e n , f o r it w i l l m e a n t h a t the c o l l e c t i o n s are t h a t m u c h m o r e u s e f u l a n d e x t e n s i v e . DECEMBER, 1943 35