Libraries serve as the most consistently-utilized physical places on a university campus besides the obvious classroom settings. Students frequently use these facilities to escape the many distractions presented in a college atmosphere and to zone in on their allotted responsibilities. However, if libraries are such a large part of the college experience, why doesn’t our campus employ twenty-four hour schedules or at the very least more flexible hours for one of the two main libraries on our campus?
Our libraries open at 7:30 am and close by 11 pm. It is utterly impossible to fathom any student getting their work done in that amount of time, while also balancing class attendance, extra curricular activities, and hectic job schedules. Ashley Miller, a student who attends Loyola Marymount University, explains, “I work two jobs both on and off campus, and having a library on my campus that is open twenty-four hours, provides flexibility in my demanding schedule. I have the option to map out my schedule without strict limitations when it comes to my studies.” While Ashley is fortunate to live on campus, many others find themselves commuting in order to attend school.
According to UCR’s Student Life statistics, more than 14,000 students commute to and from this campus. Jade Young, a commuting student attending UCR, expresses her difficulty in the fact that her schedule conflicts with the library hours on campus. “After finishing my classes and daily work shifts, I have no more than two hours to spend in the library and that is ultimately not enough time to get all my studies done. My apartment building is always noisy and the library is the only place where I can get some peace and quiet.” The library would become a viable option for such students and provide the flexibility to take care of their work in a trusted, safe, and motivating environment. Professors say we need to devote at least two hours for each class we have a day to outside work, and a library closing at 11 pm does not satisfy these requirements.
Many campuses have made it a priority to allow twenty-four hour libraries to be made available to its students leaving many of our own students to wonder why we are not allowed this same accommodation. One often-cited reason for not extending library hours is a lack of resources needed to staff a twenty-four hour facility. Another concern is whether a sufficient number of people would be willing to work 4- or 8- hour shifts from 11 pm to 7 am. Instead of being an obstacle, the requirement of more workers would only open up job opportunities for students in need of extra income.
Yes, our campus does employ a twenty-four hour finals week schedule, but that is not sufficient enough for a university level library. Issues surrounding budget caps and increased tuition may be at the forefront during this time for many universities, however, our students must always be at the center of university concerns. Students do not merely want a twenty-four hour library facility open and available to them, they deserve one. The responsibility should fall on the school and UC administration to find or redistribute budgeted funds. If the resources are not available this school year, plans should be made for future years. But for the short term, we ask that a more reasonable and flexible library schedule be developed to accommodate more students more often.