Invalid I.D. Cards Total 1000, Lists Made to Cut Book Loss

Several Harvard libraries are now using lists containing the names of about 1000 ex-staff and faculty members to ensure that no books are lost to former employees holding bursars cards valid through 1977 and 1980.

Widener and Littauer have begun checking all of the so-called "10/77" and "10/80" cards used to withdraw books against two lists prepared by the Office of Fiscal Services, library officials said yesterday.

Other College libraries--Fine Arts, Cabot, Hilles and Lamont--reported yesterday that they are using the lists to make occasional checks or to track down overdue books.

Gone With the Wind

The Office of Fiscal Services (OFS) compiled the lists in part to remedy its October mailing of three- and five-year bursars cards to some persons no longer affiliated with the University. The lists also include faculty and staff who have left Harvard since OFS issued cards this fall.

About 255 names are included in the list of invalid 10/80 cards, which were given to all Corporation officers, including junior and senior faculty and teaching fellows.

According to R. Jerrold Gibson '51, director of OFS, slightly more than 100 of the cards were issued erroneously in the October mailing of 6000 cards.

The 10/77 list, which OFS completed December 1, includes about 750 names. Gibson said yesterday he believes 500 of these persons have left since the OFS issued the cards this fall.

The remaining 250, he said, departed before the cards were given out but after August 31 when Harvard sent its final list of names to the company making the cards.

Too Slow

In early November the Harvard College library asked the OFS to replace the 6000 10/80 bursars cards it mailed out in October, after rejecting as too slow equipment designed to prevent fraudulent book borrowing.

However, Gibson rejected the request and instead decided to prepare the lists of outstanding invalid 10/80 and 10/77 cards.

David T. Buxton '69, circulation librarian for the Harvard College library, said yesterday that Widener is checking 10/80 and 10/77 cards against the two lists whenever possible. Only in "extremely rare" busy periods is there not enough to make the check, he said.

Susan E. Wood, head librarian at Littauer said yesterday that Littauer is checking the lists whenever a 10/77 or 10/80 card is presented by someone the staff does not know.

Cabot Science Library is allowing its staff members to decide when to refer to the lists, Alan E. Erikson, science specialist in Harvard University Library, said yesterday.

The Fine Arts Library does not have enough staff to check all cards and will use the lists only if a book is overdue, William S. Johnson, public services librarian for the Fine Arts, said yesterday.

A spokesman for Hilles and Lamont said yesterday that the undergraduate libraries do not expect to use the lists except to check on missing books.

Library officials said yesterday that they do not know of any books lost to holders of the invalid bursars cards. One librarian said the size of the problem will not be apparent for another month