Part 1 - The Institute Libraries - Institute for Advanced Study

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ft 5s safe to 52)- that in 7roviding for the r~search and
writing 3f a hlstcrry of the firs: twenty yeers of the Institute for
Advanced Study the Director and t%e Trustcss contemplated a s pptic
kccount c;hase leng-t b:ocf d nore closely parellel the brevity of that
period in the long life hopffully anticipated fer the institution.
There w ill proba5ly 5; disappointrent in the length af the narrative
which follows.
However, zs the llnited doc.=~ntary materials were weighed
w,.3 t5 rte nmreraus interviews ur?dertaF:en in 1955-1957, and with the
occasional pnblished renerks on p5ases of the Institute's d~velopent,
it becese obvious to the eutbor that the docuwnts and correspondence
rrr~st be allcued to tell the story, and to establish tke fzcts 59 to
s m
ol: the Qssu~s uhicfi flew been h~retcf ore emeloped in mystery or
conCused in conflict. Inevltablp this meant a long rrcard. Hopefully
the fer.gt$ may be forgiv~n in view of the huthority with whfch the
docments speak.
With the method estzbfished, it becme clear that the history
would have fts best ase as an afd in ahinist~ring the Institute, and
in adepting its course to the "changing socfal needs and conditionsn
which the Faandtrs contmplatcd as possfhly requiring modification of
the princfples to whfsh they subscribed. Moreox-er, the history may b~
used as the background for a synopt3c story of the Institute which may
be ~ublished,
In many critical ?assss, docmer,tary infomation was not
at*aiIable In the Institute*~ fifes, or in its minutes. This was partly
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