College and Research Libraries By R A L P H T . E S T E R Q U E S T Progress Report on the Midwest Inter-Library Center Mr. Esterquest is director, Midwest Inter-Library Center, Chicago. I S H O U L D like to begin my r e m a r k s w i t h a brief review of the purpose and objec- tives of the M i d w e s t I n t e r - L i b r a r y C e n t e r ( M . I . L . C . ) . I do so because there con- tinue to be misconceptions concerning the real aims of this n e w cooperative enterprise. T h e r e are still librarians w h o think of the M i d w e s t I n t e r - L i b r a r y C e n t e r as merely a n o t h e r storage library. T h i s may be de- tected one w a y or another. If the l i b r a r i a n does not come out and say t h a t the center is going to be a huge warehouse f o r storing all the dead books in the M i d w e s t , he says the same t h i n g w h e n he refers to the center as " t h e librarian's F o r t K n o x . " T h e M . I . L . C . intends to take the re- gional storage idea and carry it a f e w steps f u r t h e r . T h e first step is to tackle the problem of eliminating duplicates. If the Universities of Illinois, I o w a , M i n n e s o t a and Chicago each have a set of the steno- graphic proceedings of the G e r m a n Reich- stag, and each chooses to send its set to the M . I . L . C . f o r regional housing, w e are com- m i t t e d to a policy of looking quite critically at the f o u r assembled sets and asking o u r - selves how m a n y are actually needed to serve the research p r o g r a m of the M i d w e s t . If the answer is t h a t only one set is needed, then the policy of the center is to dispose of the other three. 1 P a p e r p r e s e n t e d a t t h e m e e t i n g o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r i e s S e c t i o n , A . ' C . R . L . , C l e v e l a n d , J u l y 20, 1 9 5 0 . T h i s is the first s t e p : the elimination of duplication of existing holdings. T h e next step is to eliminate duplicate efforts to maintain c u r r e n t files. W h e n it takes over a set the M . I . L . C . u n d e r t a k e s also the re- sponsibility of m a i n t a i n i n g the set f o r the region as a whole. T h u s one subscription suffices w h e r e f o u r existed b e f o r e ; one check- ing card, one claiming activity, one binding activity. T h e r e is a third and a f o u r t h step. Sup- pose t h a t in addition to receiving on deposit the proceedings of the G e r m a n Reichstag, the center also receives the proceedings of parliaments of some 25 other countries. I t seems logical to us t h a t in such an event these t w o f u r t h e r steps be t a k e n : one, the collection should be examined f o r gaps w i t h i n sets, and the M . I . L . C . should at- t e m p t to fill in those g a p s ; and t w o , the center should, a f t e r a n a l y z i n g the research needs of the region, round out the collection by acquiring similar files of p a r l i a m e n t a r y proceedings f r o m nations n o t represented in the nucleus group of 25. T h u s the regional cooperative library intends to play a positive role in providing f o r its s u p p o r t i n g libraries well-rounded and useful collections w i t h i n the defined area of little-used research ma- terials. W h a t are little-used research m a t e r i a l s ? T h e s e are generally publications which are taking space and not paying their w a y in reader use. T h e y are housed, r e a r r a n g e d , rebound, and sometimes recataloged against t h e day w h e n someone m a y need t h e m . JANUARY, 1951 67 T h e y are records of possible i m p o r t a n t use to some phase of scholarship or investigation. T h e y may be obsolescent, they may discour- age readers because they are in m i n o r lan- guages or they m a y appeal to only small g r o u p s of specialists in a w o r l d increasingly given to areas of very specialized knowl- edge. By assuming responsibility f o r the hous- ing of such books the M . I . L . C . gives mem- ber libraries f r e e d o m in the use of space in their individual libraries f o r books w h i c h have a l a r g e r and m o r e constant research audience. I t saves the library the cost of the erection of n e w buildings, it gives the library a g u a r a n t e e of absorbing the pres- ent-day u s e f u l books w h e n they become little-used and it enables a member library to concentrate its efforts in the direction of servicing the m o r e frequently-used materials. A m o n g the m a n y classes of less-used books and library materials about which midwest- ern librarians have been giving t h o u g h t are the f o l l o w i n g 10 classes w h i c h have been designated as p a r t of the initial p r o g r a m of the M . I . L . C . : State documents, including legislative j o u r n a l s ; older text books; f o r - eign and A m e r i c a n dissertations; college c a t a l o g s ; t r a d e j o u r n a l s ; house o r g a n s ; f o r - eign p a r l i a m e n t a r y proceedings; telephone directories; and newspapers. A f t e r the initial period t h e r e w i l l be other classes: Files of old or obscure periodi- cals ; proceedings and reports of certain learned societies; t r a d e u n i o n s ; charitable o r g a n i z a t i o n s ; old editions of encyclopedias; year books; m i n o r f i c t i o n ; poetry and d r a m a ; official g a z e t t e s ; and early census reports and m a n y other types of materials t h a t do not fall into large class categories. T o give its m e m b e r libraries space relief is the first p a r t of t h e M . I . L . C . p r o g r a m . B u t it is not all of the p r o g r a m . F r o m the point of view of the research faculty, the second p a r t is m o r e i m p o r t a n t t h a n the first. I t concerns the original acquisition of ma- terials not n o w in the libraries of any of the member institutions. W h e n the center procures a set of foreign p a r l i a m e n t a r y pro- ceedings not n o w owned by any of the par- ticipating libraries, it adds an item to the over-all research resources of the region. A s this r o u n d i n g out of its collections pro- ceeds, there w i l l emerge i m p o r t a n t values in terms of regional e n r i c h m e n t in research ma- terials. T h e presses of the w o r l d are t u r n - ing out m a n y m o r e publications t h a n even the wealthiest individual library can hope to acquire. In s u m m a r y it may be said t h a t the M . I . L . C . should make it possible f o r a participating l i b r a r i a n to administer his li- b r a r y on a m o r e economical and practical basis. Instead of his library becoming c r o w d e d w i t h materials of limited use, thus leading it to become a library w i t h a high proportion of inactive records, the responsi- bility for m a i n t a i n i n g these inactive records is t r a n s f e r r e d to the c e n t r a l agency. T h e individual library is thus f r e e to stock its shelves w i t h books t h a t have enough use to j u s t i f y their everyday presence. If it does not have to add as o f t e n or as much to a building or space p r o g r a m , it is able to hold d o w n the size of the staff to actual reader needs and to eliminate the expense involved in staff t h a t is present merely because the a d m i n i s t r a t i o n of dead m a t e r i a l requires more hands. I should like n o w to r e p o r t on the m a j o r events and accomplishments of the M . I . L . C . T e n m i d w e s t e r n universities organized, on M a r . 4, 1949, the M i d w e s t I n t e r - L i b r a r y C o r p o r a t i o n , on whose board of directors each of the 10 p a r t i c i p a t i n g uni- versities w a s represented. T h e original 10 w e r e the U n i v e r s i t y of Chicago, Illinois I n - stitute of T e c h n o l o g y , the U n i v e r s i t y of Illinois, I n d i a n a U n i v e r s i t y , S t a t e U n i v e r - sity of I o w a , the U n i v e r s i t y of Kansas, 68 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES M i c h i g a n State College, the U n i v e r s i t y of M i n n e s o t a , N o r t h w e s t e r n University and P u r d u e U n i v e r s i t y . D u r i n g the next f e w m o n t h s three r£ew universities elected par- ticipation : Wisconsin, Cincinnati and N o t r e D a m e . A t present t w o more institutions are in process of applying for m e m b e r s h i p ; and, of course, w e have an open-door policy in regard to n e w members.2 T h e representa- tives of the universities have cooperated in f o r m u l a t i n g policies and p l a n n i n g the de- velopment of the corporation's f u n c t i o n i n g agency, the M i d w e s t I n t e r - L i b r a r y C e n t e r . E a r l y in 1949 a capital g i f t of one million dollars became available to the corporation t h r o u g h t w o substantial g i f t s : T h e Carnegie C o r p o r a t i o n of N e w Y o r k provided $750,000, and the Rockefeller F o u n d a t i o n made a g i f t of $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 . T h e capital f u n d is being used to erect and equip the building in Chicago w h i c h will house the M . I . L . C . , and it is paying f o r organizational expenses. L a s t J u l y the Board of D i r e c t o r s pro- vided f o r r e g u l a r a n n u a l income by devising a f o r m u l a f o r p r o - r a t i n g the center's a n n u a l operating budget a m o n g participating insti- tutions. T h i s f o r m u l a , based on each insti- t u t i o n ' s book f u n d , P h . D . p r o g r a m and nearness to Chicago, represents an experi- m e n t a l a t t e m p t to measure in advance the service demands to be expected f r o m each p a r t i c i p a t i n g university. O n the basis of the adopted f o r m u l a , the 13 p a r t i c i p a t i n g universities supported a $ 1 2 , 0 0 0 I n t e r - L i - brary C e n t e r budget d u r i n g the fiscal year ended J u n e 1950. T h e budget f o r the cur- r e n t year has been increased to $33,000, an a m o u n t being shared again a m o n g the mem- bership. O n O c t . 1, 1949, a f u l l - t i m e director assumed his duties and established an office of the M . I . L . C . in Chicago. I n addition to p l a n n i n g a building, the Board of D i r e c t o r s , the participating li- 2 J o h n C r e r a r L i b r a r y b e c a m e a m e m b e r in O c t o b e r , 1 9 S 0 . b r a r i a n s and the director have w o r k e d together to spell out the policies needed to implement the general objectives agreed upon at the time of incorporation. Some k n o t t y problems have arisen. F o r example, if dup- lication in holdings is to be eliminated, then the libraries sending m a t e r i a l f o r housing in the center must relinquish title to the books * they send. Since most of the participating institutions are state universities whose char- ters do not p e r m i t the general liquidation of state property, the problem of reconciling a desired process w i t h legal limitations seemed formidable. T h e solution adopted may not be final, but we feel t h a t it is the best pos- sible u n d e r the circumstances. I t provides f o r f o u r different categories of deposit and f o r the p a r t i c i p a t i n g library to elect the one t h a t is appropriate for each case: Category A — O u t r i g h t gift, title of owner- ship relinquished. Category B—Title of ownership retained by depositing library but deposit is perma- nent so long as the center shall last. Category C — T i t l e of ownership retained by the depositing library; deposit understood to be indefinite but subject to recall at the will of the depositing library. Category D-Rental storage for tempo- rary space relief. G r o u n d w o r k has been laid f o r i n t e r n a l operation and the activities t h a t will begin w h e n the building is opened next A p r i l . S t u d y was made to determine how best to m a i n t a i n immediate direct communication between the M . I . L . C . and its participating libraries. I t has been decided t h a t a teletype n e t w o r k will be created using the Bell T e l e - t y p e w r i t e r Exchange System. T h i s will en- able libraries to get in touch immediately w i t h the center, so t h a t m a t e r i a l needed on a local campus can be dispatched shortly a f t e r it is requested. T h e research scholar may thus feel assured t h a t m a t e r i a l housed in Chicago will be available f o r his use on his home campus the day a f t e r he asks f o r it. JANUARY, 1951 69 / Decisions have been reached providing f o r / the reproduction of catalog cards in the cen- ter so t h a t each p a r t i c i p a t i n g library will have a catalog record of the holdings of the c e n t r a l agency in Chicago. D e t a i l e d plans f o r the t r a n s p o r t a t i o n of the initial deposits have been m a d e . T h e center w i l l o w n and operate its o w n t r u c k . A regional p h o t o r e p r o d u c t i o n p r o g r a m is accepted as one of the center's activities, and a committee !of the p a r t i c i p a t i n g libraries will soon begin w o r k on the details of a plan f o r microfilming newspapers. A m a j o r portion of a t t e n t i o n d u r i n g re- cent months, however, has been given to p l a n n i n g the building which is to house the M . I . L . C . D u r i n g the spring of 1949 the Board of D i r e c t o r s accepted one of f o u r of- fers of land on which the b u i l d i n g m i g h t be erected. T h e site chosen, a g i f t of the U n i v e r s i t y of Chicago, is in the 5 7 0 0 block on C o t t a g e G r o v e A v e n u e on Chicago's south side. Since O c t o b e r an architect has been at w o r k p l a n n i n g a b u i l d i n g designed in terms of its special f u n c t i o n s . P a r t i c u l a r a t t e n t i o n has been given to a comparison of different methods of book storage, and in M a r c h it w a s voted to equip the m a j o r por- tion of the building Stacks w i t h a n e w type of hinged compact storage shelving devel- oped f o r the center by Snead & C o m p a n y . Both the hinged storage stacks and the plan •> to shelve most of the books by size r a t h e r t h a n by subject class will greatly increase the potential capacity of the stacks building t h a t has been designed. T a b l e I illustrates the degree of space-gain achieved by these t w o methods. T A B L E I Space and Cost Savings of Size-Shelving and Hinged Stacks A. T o t a l book capacity of M . I . L . C . stacks space (514,500 cu. f t . ) using: 1. Conventional stacks and conven- tional class shelving 755,000 vols. 2. Conventional stacks and size- shelving 2,090,000 vols. 3. Hinged stacks and size-shelving 3,150,000 vols. B. Cost of total building construction per volume of stack capacity: 1. Typical large libraries $2.40 2. N e w England Deposit Library (1941) _ .26 3. M . I . L . C . with conventional stacks .45 4. M . I . L . C . with hinged storage stacks .29 T h e plans adopted are for a b u i l d i n g con- sisting of t w o m a j o r p o r t i o n s : ( 1 ) seven- tier bookstacks covering an area 9 0 ' x 9 8 ' w i t h each tier 8 ' high in the clear, the column-spacing at intervals of 6 ' x 7 ' 4 " and the anticipated capacity of the stacks portion ,is in the neighborhood of 3 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 volumes of books and 2 0 , 0 0 0 volumes of newspapers. ( 2 ) A w o r k - s t u d y area 3 0 ' x 185', most of which w i l l be one-story high but which w i l l have a second story at one end providing individual study cubicles for visiting schol- ars. T h e exterior design w i l l show large facades of windowless stacks in a light gray brick, w i t h the w o r k - s t u d y b u i l d i n g reach- ing across the f r o n t constructed in brick of c o n t r a s t i n g color. G r o u n d w a s broken on J u l y I I , and it is expected t h a t the com- pleted building w i l l be ready f o r occupancy in A p r i l 1951. T h u s w e move f o r w a r d into the second half of the t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y . T h e t w i n problems of the ever-expanding research library and the ever-increasing multiplicity of research m a t e r i a l s are still w i t h us. N o one pretends t h a t the M . I . L . C . is a p e r f e c t solution to these big problems of o u r age. H o w e v e r , I should like to v e n t u r e to say t h a t there is hope f o r the f u t u r e as l o n g as librarians and their a d m i n i s t r a t o r s are will- ing to face the problems realistically and to experiment. T h e M . I . L . C . is an experi- m e n t . T h e g r o u p of librarians w h o are behind it have high hopes t h a t they have created an efficient device. 70 COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES