The Saga of the New Book Shelf: A Journey through the 1980s According to the story told by the pictures from yearbooks in the 1980s (and pictures never lie), the chairs in front of the periodicals were a popular hangout. Through the ample documentation provided by dedicated yearbook photographers, we have been able to reconstruct a series of most interesting developments with the New Books shelf that would otherwise have gone unsung. 1980: This picture shows that the library's new books were apparently shelved on a low cart with a slanted shelf that nestled inbetween two of the comfy chairs in front of the periodicals. 1986: After an unfortunate gap of six years in the documentation of the New Book Shelf, it is apparent from this photograph that the new books were upgraded to a full-sized metal bookshelf and given a spiffy label. The size of the shelf has, however, crowded the comfy chairs out further into the room. 1986: This angle reconfims the positioning and prominence of the new New Books Shelf. It is located underneath the windows that face you when you walk in the main doors to 201, where the Archives are now located. 1987: The popularity of the comfy chairs as a place of mass gatherings is clearly evident in this photograph. The New Books Shelf retains its honored place of prominence, squarely placed beneath the windows, though almost everyone in this picture has their back turned to it. The photographer in this case almost lost the "New Books" sign off the top of the frame, but fortunately enough remains so that we can positively identify the Shelf as the self-same one. 1989: In a clear departure from established tradition, someone has made the bold and unprecedented move of placing the New Book Shelf at an angle in the corner by the windows. While there is no explanation for why this move of several feet was made, we can doubtless conclude that the Shelf safely made the transition from the '80s to the '90s in this very position. Next: Attitude >>