Long planned as part of an expansion program to relieve strain on the currently overtaxed facilities of Widener is a new deposit library now rising near the Business School on the other side of the Charles.

Since President Ellot first mentioned the project 39 years ago, a deposit library has been a dream of Widener officials. The building now under construction is intended as a cooperative enterprise for the inexpensive storage of little-used books such as newspaper files, government reports, and textbooks, the removal of which will clear needed shelf room in Widener and other libraries.

Non-Profit Organization

The building is being raised on ground donated by the University, and is incorporated as a non-profit making corporation under the laws of Massachusetts. Any non-profit library in New England may deposit material.

Ten libraries, among which are the Boston Library, the Boston Athenaeum, the libraries of Boston University and Boston College, Radcliffe, Tufts, the Massachusetts State Library, and the M.I.T. library, plan to use the building.

Although officials were hesitant about setting an exact date for the completion of the project in view of the difficulty of obtaining construction materials at the present time, the deposit library is expected to be ready for use some time in January.

The stacks will contain about 26 miles of shelving, which is thought to be enough to meet the needs of the member libraries for the next 10 years.