Annual Report 2001-2002 - Cambridge University Library ...

5TOPModel of theUniversity Libraryshowing how thefinal phases of theextension willcomplete theplanneddevelopment.Fundraising forthese phases iscurrently under way.RIGHTThe Leigh Room,which houses thecollection of thelate Professor R. A.Leigh, in the newlyopened north-westcorner extension.assistance of the University’s Development Officeand Cambridge in America, a major campaign is underway to raise the funding needed to complete the finalphase of the extension. As part of this campaign, thepresence of fragments from the Genizah Collection at amajor exhibition in Chicago provided the opportunityfor a series of events in that city, culminating in apublic lecture by Professor Reif and a dinner hostedby the British Consul-General, Mr Robert Culshaw,and his wife. It was gratifying that, right at the endof the year, the Resource Management Committeedemonstrated the University’s commitment towardsthis strategically important development by agreeingto earmark a sum of £4 million from the CambridgeUniversity Press fund to be used towards this finalphase of building.Saturday afternoon openingFrom September 2001 the main University Libraryopened on Saturday afternoons for, it is believed, thefirst time in its 600-year history. This developmentwas enormously popular with readers and it has veryquickly become part of the expected pattern of service.Reader numbers on some Saturday afternoons quicklyapproached those of weekday afternoons. Theplanning for these new arrangements involved acomplex series of negotiations, changes to the workingpattern of many staff and the employment of newstaff, to ensure that there were enough regular staffavailable on Saturday afternoons to provide readerswith a satisfactory level of service and assistance.Both the opening on Saturday afternoons and theintroduction of the ‘Newton’ system placed anenormous burden on the staff of the Library, particularlythose involved in recruitment, training and planning,many of them working under great pressure for much ofthe year, and a debt of gratitude is owed to them all.Carter Studio