There's good news for those students who haven't yet bought their sourcebooks: The Soviet-like queues at the Science Center Stockroom have finally diminished.

During the first weeks of classes, the lines for sourcebooks in the basement of the Science Center lasted anywhere from one and two hours, according to several undergraduates forced to endure the waits.

Disgruntled students standing in line could be heard mumbling angry epithets about the Harvard administration and its ideas about efficiency.

"This is crazy," complained an angry first-year who said the sourcebook lines were even longer than those at the Union. "[The employees] are really slow, really mean and should work harder," said the first-year, who refused to be identified.

And some students said they were persuaded by the lines to wait several weeks before purchasing their sourcebooks.

"I wasn't going to do the reading before anyway," said Elijah White '95. "So, I waited until the lines got smaller."

"The lines are so long that you don't have time during the first two weeks because of shopping courses," said Michael Worthiem '95. "You suffer by waiting in line so it's just better to wait."

Others said they were deterred by the mere presence of so many Harvard students waiting for books.

"I looked down [at the line] a couple times and said 'no way,'" said Victoria H. Jueds '95 said. "It was pure laziness. Now I've finally got my butt down here."

One of the stockroom employees, glad that the clamor for books has calmed down, offered his solution to the problem.

"The whole thing would work if people just readthe easel and don't ask stupid questions. Theyshould know what's in and what's out. They shouldcome prepared with their ID's ready or theirchecks," said the employee, who would not give hisname. "We're going to develop a speed line forthose with cash."

Frustrated line-waiter Joshua D. Liston '95came up with his own solution to the problem whiletrying to kill time: "I don't understand why theyjust don't hire more workers," he said.

But the employee, when asked about thepossibility of hiring some extra workers, saidonly, "Come back when there isn't such a bigline.