To the Editor of the CRIMSON:

There still seems to be need of a little clear thinking and plain speaking in regard to the men who get away with books from the reserved shelves in the Reading Room, or otherwise secure the exclusive use of them by unfair means.

When a man slips out of a store with something picked up from the counter, he is called a sneak thief. For the man who slips away from the Reading Room with a Library book in his pocket or his bag, or concealed among his own books, we may drop the "thief" if we like, because in most cases he means to return the book, and in some cases does so, but he is no less a sneak, for he does in an underhand way and to secure a mean advantage for himself, what he cannot do openly and with the knowledge of those responsible, for the room. When a man signs a fictitious name, or another name than his own, in charging a book to be taken out so out that he may not be obliged to return if, he is a cheat and sometimes comes dangerously near to forgery. Now the number of men who are sneaks or cheats is not large, but it is large enough to make the administration of the Reading Room troublesome and discouraging, and enough partially to defeat the object for which the few simple rules of the room are framed--namely, to secure equal opportunity for all readers in the use of books.

To call a man a sneak or a cheat is not pleasant; to be so called, with reason, is still worse.

Probably not one in ten of the men who permit themselves to do these acts would do them if some one were by to say squarely to him "You're a sneak", "What a cheat you are". I wish I could say just this to each one at the critical moment. I think we should have but little further trouble. It is a poor substitute for this to post a man's name publicly and hold him up to scorn after he has done the deed. It seems to be the only other thing to do, but I hope I shall not have occasion to do it.

I do not mean, however, to run the Library on the presumption that men are cheats and sneaks. There would be little pleasure in life left to any of us. We shall continue to act on the principle that we are dealing with honorable gentlemen, but we shall keep our eyes open with the object of excluding others if we can.

One word about rules. I sometimes get an absurd letter from some man, who fails to grasp what seems a simple point, and apparently thinks that rules are set up to suit the whim of the Librarian, and therefore it is a fair game to circumvent them; that fines or other charges are designed to enrich the institution or its employees, and therefore that one is at liberty to keep any book as long as he likes if only he pays the fines that accrue. What foolishness! Fines and charges are for the purpose of getting books back at the proper time, that they may be ready for others' use. Our few rules are designed to 'secure the rights of readers, or (what is finally the same thing) to protect the books for their use.

A general acceptance of these principles would clear away many of the difficulties that beset a librarian. Very truly yours,   WILLIAM C. LANE Harvard College Library, February 7, 1922.