Morris Library extends late-night study hours
by Sara Wahlberg
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: News
Students find all kinds of places to study around campus, but the most popular spot has traditionally been the Morris Library. As a central and secure location, no other place offers the quiet time students need to cram for an exam or finish that paper, at least until it closes at midnight, forcing those who are hard at work to pack up and move elsewhere.
Starting this week, however, students can enjoy an extra two hours of library time on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. For the rest of the semester, the library will remain open until 2 a.m. on those weekday nights and the Library Commons will stay open 24 hours.
Teagan Gregory, vice president for the Student Government Association, said the proposal to extend library hours started last fall when the student senate first brought up the idea. Since then, the SGA has worked closely with members of the administration to enact the change.
Gregory said the library will remain open the extra two hours only as a place for students to study and not with library services such as circulation or special collections.
"The main concern was about study space on campus, honestly," he said. "The initial proposal was to use the library as a study space, not as a library."
The proposal the SGA worked on took approximately three to four months to complete, Gregory said. A major area of research was looking at the library hours at peer institutions along the East Coast.
"I looked at a total of 26 schools and I found out that a lot of them have better overall hours in the library," he said. "That was one of my biggest arguments. I was like 'Look, other schools are doing it. It's not something that's unheard of.' "
Michael Gilbert, vice president for Student Life, said he supported the idea from the beginning and urged Gregory to do research to make the best proposal to the administration. In mid-January, Gregory presented the final idea for the extension of the library hours and it was accepted.
Starting this week, however, students can enjoy an extra two hours of library time on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. For the rest of the semester, the library will remain open until 2 a.m. on those weekday nights and the Library Commons will stay open 24 hours.
Teagan Gregory, vice president for the Student Government Association, said the proposal to extend library hours started last fall when the student senate first brought up the idea. Since then, the SGA has worked closely with members of the administration to enact the change.
Gregory said the library will remain open the extra two hours only as a place for students to study and not with library services such as circulation or special collections.
"The main concern was about study space on campus, honestly," he said. "The initial proposal was to use the library as a study space, not as a library."
The proposal the SGA worked on took approximately three to four months to complete, Gregory said. A major area of research was looking at the library hours at peer institutions along the East Coast.
"I looked at a total of 26 schools and I found out that a lot of them have better overall hours in the library," he said. "That was one of my biggest arguments. I was like 'Look, other schools are doing it. It's not something that's unheard of.' "
Michael Gilbert, vice president for Student Life, said he supported the idea from the beginning and urged Gregory to do research to make the best proposal to the administration. In mid-January, Gregory presented the final idea for the extension of the library hours and it was accepted.
Be the first to comment on this story