On the ground floor of Widener Library. Harvard's showcase library for academic research, lies showcases of a different sort. Imbedded in the wall behind the steps leading to the main reading room are models of Harvard through the ages.

The models show the buildings and lay-out of the University at various dates since its founding 353 years ago. They depict how Harvard changed from a small college in a pastoral setting to a mammoth institution amid a bustling city.

But the models are not simply glimpses of Harvard's physcial plant. They are also indicative of the University's mindset, a mindset that champions expansion. The models are a pictorial statement that for the nation's oldest college, less is never more.

And although there is no display for the 1980s, the events of the past year seem to indicate that the University, that giant octopus of academia, has not changed its mind about growth.

For years, Harvard has been the city's biggest landlord. This year it grew even bigger. A year ago, Harvard Real Estate (HRE) unveiled plans to build a five-story "limited convenience" hotel on property across from the Harvard Union. In the fall, the University purchased the Quality Motor Inn and the Bence Pharmacy building on Mass. Ave. And in March, Harvard purchased from the St. Paul's Rectory the largest undeveloped plot in the Square.

Such expansion has raised questions about the underlying aims of the University, its role in the community and the purpose of growth itself. Is Harvard primarily an academic institution or a real estate company? Many asked, "Why build a hotel?" Members of the faculty noted that the site could be better used as a library or a building to ease the faculty office crunch. Community activists screamed about insensitivity, charging that the University was destroying area neighborhoods.

Ironically, those in local politics who seem to berate Harvard the most are often Harvard affiliates, revealing the University's unique grasp over things. The new executive director of the good-government Cambridge Civic Association graduates from the College today, and several City Council campaigns are being managed by undergraduates.

Meanwhile, Harvard was extending its other tentacles on grander levels--and with equally problematic results.

Few Universities can--and do--boast of having heads of state, such as Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir P. Bhutto '73, as graduates. By inviting Bhutto to be this year's Commencement speaker, Harvard has shown that academic excellence is not its sole concern. National and international prominence, it seems, is equally important.

As the University continues to grow and prepares for the 1990s, it may have to relearn the lessons of the past decade of expansion--the need for tolerance and community awareness and for balancing expansion and academics. Although the next display installed at Widener could well be a world map, Harvard need not be at its center.