Outlook Inspects Jafet Library's Pros and Cons Editors Note: In this report, Outlook tried to assess the role and the performance of the Jafet Memorial Library throughout its history. No matter what conclusions our readers might jump to after reading this report, Outlook would want to point out that the one-week closure of the Jafet Library was certainly not acceptable. A solution for this closure must be found for neither faculty nor students can put their research on hold for one whole week. Perhaps a backup library team must be formed in order to replace the standing team during weeks-off and holidays. Starting with two rooms on the second floor of College Hall, then half a floor, then a whole floor, then two floors, the library was soon bursting for more space. The construction of Jafet Memorial Library was made possible in 1952 through the generous donation of $200,000 from the family of the industrialist Nami Jafet. Why did the Jafets choose this location? Some say because it is close to where the old library was situated, but legend has it that Nami Jafet, as a young boy, used to earn money by picking up balls, on the tennis courts previously situated where Jafet Library now stands. Since the late 50s and early 60 the library has been undergoing constant renovations to accommodate the ever-increasing number of students. In 1962 the semicircle past the reference section was added to the library, now a study area. Jafet Library is one of the two main University libraries, the other being the Saab Memorial Library, located on top of the AUB garage. Hardly an empty chair can be found in Jafet Library during midterms, or finals. You cannot find an empty chair full stop. And even harder to find is an empty computer for Internet use. One common complaint from students is, You cannot find an empty seat to study in during reading period. Student demand for more study space has existed ever since the library was established. After the bomb explosion at College Hall, which inflicted serious damage to the south wing of the library, the reconstruction resulted in a 59% increase in student reading areas. Jafet Library provides many services to students such as study areas in three different locations, Internet access, book loans, a special room for the visually impaired, reference books, and LIBCAT, the online catalog of the American University of Beirut. The library also provides photocopy machines for use with special magnetic cards. A library user can also find a pay phone next to the stairs to call externally, and another phone for internal use only. Some papers and books are placed in the reserve area on the second floor for students to photocopy or read in the reserve room. Concerning references, professors and students are constantly researching for term papers and research projects. For a student to borrow a book from the reference section, he has to get verbal and written consent from the professor before he is allowed to borrow the book for an hour only. LIBCAT, is perhaps the solution for students and their papers. All a student has to do is search the site and then send the required documents by e-mail to their addresses, a very convenient method for many students. Archives and special collections play an important role in the history of AUB. Many people constantly contact this section by e-mail or phone, searching for history about a relative who is undergoing a trial, or a niece who wants to know about her grandfathers accomplishments, or even AUB itself when in need of starting something new which requires some background information. The documents of today are the archives of tomorrow, said Mrs. A. Fathallah, head of the Archives and Special Collections section. Professional facilities and personnel are available to maintain the archives such as, a specialist in restoration, acid free boxes, certain temperatures, and gloves to deal with fragile old pictures. We have to preserve the very primary documents. So we constantly have to be aware of what is happening, added Mrs. Fathallah. One interesting story Mrs. Fathallah shared with Outlook is how after the destruction of College Hall in 1991, while Mrs. Fathalla was going through some documents, she came upon the speech of the opening ceremony given at the original College Hall. The speech contained a reference to a certain box buried under the corner stone of College Hall. After circulating this document, and some work from the Archaeology Department, diggers found the box and emptied it. Now the box lies in the new College Hall with new documents, CDs, microfilms, and an AUB catalogue. The room for the visually impaired provides another important service for the community. The visually impaired can find readers, typists and machines to help them. The Red Cross Club and other volunteers help these visually impaired people get along in their classes, not only by reading or writing for them but as Jana Faour, a volunteer, said, We become friends and it is like doing a favor for a friend, helping them study for an exam. But, like the majority of places where multiple people use the facilities provided some rules and regulations are necessary. No smoking, no eating, no cellulars the common three no-no s in any quiet educational center today. But few Lebanese can resist the ringing of their cellular phone be it in the library or in the movies. Among the many people allowed to borrow books from the library are students, professors, and alumni, each allowed for different time periods to borrow a different number of books. Late return entails a LL1000 per day fine except on weekends. But if borrowers lose a book they have either to provide an exact copy of the lost book as payment, or pay replacement charges. If the book is still in print, the borrower has only to pay the price of the book, the overdue fine, and the shipping and handling costs. But if the book is out of print then a totally different estimated cost is made. Out of print lost books are frequently obtained from other libraries on microfilm. How does the library get its books and on what basis does it accept books? The library receives many donations from other libraries. Retired professors, AUB alumni, and writers and publishers donate books to AUB libraries. The library accepts all books related to the students field of knowledge. For example the library contains few books on law because AUB does not have a law school. The library underwent a short dilemma where many students complained about the intolerable temperatures of the library. It was either too cold or too hot. There was no in between. After a long time of negotiation the answer arrived with the key for the locked temperature regulators. No one is allowed to open the windows. The windows are kept securely locked to keep the AC temperature stable and regulated and also to protect the windows against acts of vandalism done in the past by students releasing anger. They wont even let us open the windows, continued the pre-med students. One last enigma Jafet Library and all its occupants face is the silence rule no one seems to acknowledge. The top floor Is more for group work, said Rany Abdallah, a student studying on the ground floor where you see swarms of people walking in and out, and the lower floor, where a squeak of the chair will cause everyone to turn around and have you the look. The noise level seems to rise with each floor, said the three biology students studying on the ground floor. In 1972 Al-Kulliyah magazine documented the existence of another problem students nowadays are still facing and that is the library closing hours. During the war the library used to close at 4:00 p.m. and at certain times did not open at all. Library staff when going to and from the library sometimes had to be escorted by guards. What more could a library that opens 90 hours a week have? What other services could it possibly provide? Maybe opening for more hours to allow more use by many people? Plans are afoot to have the branch libraries open at the same hours. We took statistics that showed that after 10 p.m. the number of students decreases; not many students stay 24 hours in a library, said the circulation librarian. Last semester when many students objected to the library s closing at 12:00 midnight, the library extended the closing hours until 2:00 a.m. But some students view is that if the library opens 24 hours a day it would encourage students to study more. The problems of study space and opening hours have evolved with the library throughout its different stages and locations. Information on these problems will remain in the archives of the library for future generations to know that we faced the same problems they either solved or are still facing. Jafet Memorial Library has advantages and disadvantages, which balance each other out. Improvements are constantly being made, and efforts are being made to satisfy many student demands.