New library buildings: the Augustus Long Health Sciences Library of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University.

A brief historical sketch, tracing the development of the College of Physicians and Surgeons and its library from the Royal charter date of 1754, is presented. Little is recorded of library development prior to 1928, when the departmental libraries were united with the Reference Library to form the core of the present library. The planning processes for the new library are discussed, noting the involvement of the entire library staff. Four floors in a twenty-story tower are devoted to library services, and each floor is described. Several of the major compromises made during the planning process are documented. Photographs and floor plans of two of the floors help illustrate the text.