In charge of a million and a half books
Library director has frustrating job
By KURT ANDERSEN
Kansan Staff Writer
How can one man be in charge of more than 1,400,000 books, 7 separate libraries and a permanent staff of more than 160 people? David Hern, director of KU libraries says he simply "sees that the libraries here fulfill the needs put upon them by a first-rate university."
Heron has been in his present position for two years. Before coming to KU, he hold library-related jobs at UCLA, Stanford University, and the University of Nevada. He holds BA degrees in English and library, in addition to the MA degree in political science.
The KU library system, says Heron, compares favorably with other university facilities, particularly those in the Big 8 conference.
"I think Colorado is somewhat more well-equipped than we are, and the Missouri library and ours are 'neck and neck.' Otherwise, we pretty well surpass the other Big 8 schools in the quality of library facilities and services," he said.
There are seven separate libraries on the Lawrence campus that are directly under the administration of his office, according to Heron. These include Watson, the main library; Spencer, mainly a social sciences research center; the mathematics and science libraries; the law library; the English library and the music library, located on two floors of Murphy Hall.
Julia Stuart has been the director of the KU music library for the past 12 years. Mrs. Stuart attended Kansas State University. With the help of six university student assistants, Mrs. Stuart shelves, adds to and catalogs all the musical scores, record albums, stereo tapes, and books about music at KU.
"We have exactly 13,717 books and musical scores here," Mrs. Stuart reports. "About half are books and half are scores. We also have more than 9,000 record albums, both mono and stereo, in the library."
The music library director feels that her facility is rapidly running out of shelf space, although
no definite expansion plans have been made yet.
"When and if we do enlarge," Mrs. Stuart explains, "we will probably put all the shelves downstairs and the tables and listening booths upstairs."
Heron said that any current KU library expansion plans were more correctly "aspirations."
When asked if the Kansas libraries offered any special or different programs to their users, Heron said, "Well, we do have some unique collections here at KU. Also, we have kept up to date with automation."
The library director explained the use of machines in the library further. "The automated system has been in use here ever since I've been here, so I really don't know how the circulation of books took place before, although I understand the filing system used was quite messy and cumbersome."
The machine now in use merely records the book number and the user's ID card number on a computer card. The computer is programmed then to send out an overdue notice on the specified date.
KU museums add step to learning experience
By MARY McCORVY Kansan Staff Writer
Who wants to see a stuffy old museum? That's what a lot of people think a museum is, stuffy and filled with old junk, but a museum can be an extensive teaching device and an added step to learning.
The museum of Natural History at KU, built in 1901 and located in Dyche Hall, is in the process of modernizing the museum to meet the people's need. In the back rooms, about forty graduate students and ten faculty members are busy exploring and finding new areas of research. In relation to University education the museum holds a summer workshop for youngsters between the ages of 11 to 14. The school children learn what natural history is all about through field studies and laboratory work
The University of Kansas has six museums, ranging from Anthropology to Classical. Each museum benefits undergraduates, graduate students and the general public. The museums give the public a chance to explore each subject. It also gives the University students a more detail study of work.
In the next three weeks, the museum will be starting a Museum Associates program. According to Philip S. Humphrey, director of the museum, the program will be designed to make the museum a little less mysterious to visitors. The program calls for field trips, and tours through the museum with guides to tell about each exhibit.
The Geology Museum in Lindley Hall is primarily a research museum, operating solely on state
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funds. According to Alan Kamb, assistant curator of the museum, the museum is a library for invertebrate paleontologists. Other museums, such as the Anthropology, Art, Classical and Entomological museums are located on campus. All are an interesting device in teaching.
and students, and provide quality service. As I said, our present level of service is not totally satisfactory, but it is improving. We will attain a level of satisfactory service only through an effective organization and in compensating for the fact that the larger the library is, the more difficult and frustrating it is to administer."
"This last year the operation has really become effective and created a real savings in time and effort," Heron said.
"In general," said Heron, "the goals of the KU library are to keep up, in terms of collections, with the demands of the faculty
The KU libraries buy almost 90,000 new volumes every year, in addition to the regular and volumonous flow of periodicals and government publications into
the library. Stealing of books is controlled by "exit control stations," at which authorized employees make sure that any books or magazines carried out of the library are properly checked out.
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