Library Committee Report, October 26, 1971, page 1

          
LIBRARY COMMITTEE REPORT

The Library Committee of the Barnard women's Center met at one p.m. on
Tuesday, October 26th in the office of Julie Marsteller. Present were: Iola
Haverstick, Robert Palmer, Eleanor Tilton, Suzanne Wemple, Pat Ballou , Julie
Marsteller, Marilyn Harris, Mary Scotti. Catharine Stimpson appeared briefly
to thank everyone for serving on the Committee.

The following decisions were reached by the Committee:

I) Policy with respect to donations of books by and/or about women: It
was decided to consider a policy consistent with the present situation in the
Barnard library. Thus, donations of books on women related to women studies
courses would be placed in the stacks or on reserve as they are now; rare books
by and/or about American women would be placed in the Overbury Collection. Due
to space limitations as well as to the need to discourage indis’criminate gifts
of books we don't want, it was decided that a policy of adding judiciously to
the collections should be the rule of thumb. Basically, we would prefer donations
of purchase money, but we are grateful for intelligent donations and wish to
thank Elly Elliott for securing The Bonnett Brigades by Mary Elizabeth Massey
for us. Professor Tilton noted two additions that would be welcomed for the
Overbury Collection. These are a first edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle

Tom's Cabin and a first edition of Margaret Fuller's Summer-at the Lakes in ififif.

2) The Overbury Collection: It was decided that a subject file was badly
needed for the Collection. Mrs. Overbury left some endownent for the collection»
and the interest has been accruing so that there is $2,500 in the till this year.
The estimated income is $h80-$500 a year. Some of this money will be spent on
hiring a library school student to make the subject file. /Professor Tilton felt
the folders for the manuscript material were not adequate in terms of protecting
this material. Job Palmer and Pat Ballou will look into this.

3) A Spring Exhibit of the Overbury Collection: Iola Haverstick has in-
vited the women's Council of the New York Public Library to consider a visit
to such an exhibition at Barnard in the spring. She recently met the Chairman
of this group at a New York City function and the latter's reaction to the
Barnard invitation was favorable, but nothing has been firmed up. Iola will
pursue this. Meanwhile, she is having a sketch made for a display cabinet that
a Barnard carpenter might build. She has also located a librarian who will be
available to put the exhibit together for us in December. She will talk to
him and if he seems competent will ask Bob Palmer to see him. She plans to
discuss the funding of this with Catharine Stimpson, Elly Elliott and Barbara
Hertz in due course, but in the meanwhile plans to donate the money for the
sketch to the College.

Q) The Holden Collection: Iola asked Suzanne Wemple if she would visit
Mrs. Holden's collection and make appropriate noises. Marilyn Harris, whose
field is American literature, volunteered to accompany Professor Wemple and to
also make appropriate noises. Iola has written to Mrs. Holden to introduce
them. While nobody is under the illusion that Suzanne and Marilyn will return
from their visit with a signed promise from Mrs. Holden donating the collection
to Barnard, it was felt that the interest displayed by a Barnard Professor