It has become a well-established custom at Harvard to raise by general subscription large sums of money whenever they are required for the maintenance and welfare of some special department. So far this has been the case only with those departments whose workshop and laboratory is not the college library. Now it is the turn of those branches of learning-of philology, literature, philosophy, political economy, history, mathematics, and music-for the very existence of which the reading-room in Gore Hall is a necessity, to call upon Harvard's many and kind friends to come to the aid of their alma mater and to present her with a reading-room such as she deserves, such as the ever-increasing number of her students demands, such as the present poor accommodations render an obvious necessity. We concur with President Eliot in his statement that such a call for a sufficient sum of money to do away with the present utterly inadequate reading-room will be favorably received, and urge the President, the Fellows, and all others interested, to take the matter in hand immediately.