Tired Typists

Tired Typists

February 17, 1956



The University has already exceeded its yearly portion of generosity, and another request now might well seem like just too much. After all, Lamont’s hours are extended, and the officialdom has even managed to keep the gates open until twelve, or at least most of the time. But the present complaint is a minor one, as easily solved as it is obvious.

Quite simply, Lamont has two typing rooms but no place to leave typewriters. For the trustful, of course, this is no problem—the typist just leaves his machine when he goes to class or meals. One dislikes casting doubts upon human nature, but a glance at the statistics nevertheless indicates a number of losses every month in books and personal items. Typewriters are particularly vulnerable, since there is no way of checking them at the doors. For the man a bit uneasy about losing his machine, it means lugging it along every time he leaves the library.

This is a downright nuisance. The nice thing is that the library may end all of these worries almost immediately, at no cost, and with little work, which should please the library helpers. They need only pick up some typewriter check-in cards like those used for Widener. When a man brings a typewriter to Lamont, he would register his machine, and be given a numbered card—to take a typewriter out of the building he would have to surrender the card. In a breath, no one would get a card without a typewriter, and no one could leave with a typewriter without handing in a card. Unless someone can counterfeit these cards at a local printer, there would be no fear of lifted typewriters.