SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94505

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

Josepru D. GRANT PROFESSOR February 7 : 1978
oF GENETICS

Aaron Wildavsky
President

Russell Sage Foundation
230 Park Avenue

New York, N.Y. 10017

Dear Mr. Wildavsky: \%

Thank you very much for sending me "urban outcomes." I was
very much interested indeed to read the chapter on libraries. I
wonder if there is any comparable information available at this
time about the New York City public library system. Besides my
nostalgic interest in the libraries, and the testimonial that I
can offer about their importance as an educational instrument, it
occurred to me that they would be an important index of the provision
of opportunities. I particularly am concerned that the pressures
on schools like Stuyvesent High School and Bronx High School of
Science may be misdirected in a quite destructive way and that more
leverage be available for the preparation of students for the
mobility and the eventual opportunity that such high schools can
offer. I would be willing to bet that the successful students
are avid users of whatever library facilities are available even in
relation to others of comparable income and cu]tural background.
Of course, I may be retroflecting without regard to:many changes ©
of the past thirty years; in particular I am told that library
facilities within the public schools have taken over part of the
functions of the City library system, but I have no direct check
on that.

When I come to New York this September I am certainly looking
forward to reestablishing connections with you and with the Foundation
both personally and institutionally. I would particularly welcome
ways in which I could help analyze the conjunction of expertise in
the natural sciences that is quite abundant at Rockefeller University
with the needs, social awareness, and complimentary expertise of °
your coleagues and local projects that may occur to you as pertinent.
Aaron Wildavsky 22. February 7, 1978

There are certainly a number of steps along these lines that could
be undertaken quite informally and I hope you would agree about the
merits of further exploration along those lines.

If I could trouble you for the latest annual report of the
Foundation and summaries of the projects you are supporting - I
had some samples of such material about a couple of years ago -
they would be helpful as prior briefing for further conversations
to which I look forward.

Again, thank you for your courtesy in sending the book,

Yours sincerely,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JL:ek-f