The Reserved Book System at the Library.

The system of reserving certain books in the Reading Room for the benefit of those men who wish to read up on special subjects, has been in use in the Library for several years, and the constantly increasing use of the reserved books proves the system to be a useful one. Many men who are unwilling to spend large sums of money on books, have at their command during the day many books of value which they can use as conveniently as if they owned them themselves.

The system, however, in spite of its advantages, is subject to constant abuse. Men are very careless about returning books to their proper places, and though complaints on this head are constantly appearing in the columns of the CRIMSON, they seem to have little effect. It takes more trouble to replace a book on its proper shelf than to leave it lying on the table. But it also takes more trouble to look over the ten or twelve tables in the reading room before finding a book, than to get it from the shelf where it belongs. Men forget that what they gain in the one instance they lose in the other. If every man would take the little trouble required to replace a book, all the users of the reading room would be naturally benefited. This will never come about till the sentiment among the readers is strong enough to make anyone who is careless about returning books conscious of the displeasure of the rest.

A reform is needed most of all in the Political Economy Library in University Hall. Men are more careless in the use of books here than in the College Library, and as there is no librarian here, the trouble of replacing books falls in the hands of one of the professors. A little more care and consideration for others in the use of books at both places, would make the trouble less and the convenience greater for all who use the books.