Should Library Extend Weekend Hours?

By Dawn Sarli

At an academic institution, it is important that we have access to as many resources as possible at all times. While going to the library on a Saturday night sounds like a fate worse than death, the alternative is sitting in your room, red in the face because you need to finish some Chemistry paper, which you’ve been putting off for so long, but you’ve got cotton stuffed in your ears because your neighbor has got the bass booming.

Unfortunately, Griswold Library is closed on Saturday nights, as it is on Fridays. While it may seem easy to think it should stay open until 11pm on every night, Paul Millette, the GMC librarian, said that many factors go into increasing library hours.

One of the bigger concerns is staffing. Last semester the library staffed work-study students on weekend afternoons, which worked out well. But in those instances, the issue of experience becomes a factor. A work-study student’s knowledge cannot compare to someone who has been formally trained in library science.

“It is not unusual,” Millette said, “for a student to have to wait until Monday until they can work with a librarian.”

Gail Schaumloffel, the administrative assistant to the library director, added, “We are just as busy as everybody else on campus.” The option of using volunteer assistance would be difficult. Both of the library employees agreed that the intricate duties that would be expected would take major training, and the commitment level of volunteers is an issue. They just won’t show Griswold the love that a professional librarian would.

Then there is the fact that the library is the largest building on campus. The costs of lighting and heating the building are very expensive for the college, and fails to embrace energy efficiency ideals, an issue that many feel passionate about given YES (Youth Energy Squad) has the largest club membership on campus.

These reasons are why Millette keeps a close eye on the amount of traffic that comes through the library. The sensors on either side of the doorways entering the library keep count of the number of people that go in and out. Millette explains that the amount of people using the library during their regular weekend hours isn’t currently enough to consider an extension; however, he stresses that this doesn’t mean the library cannot ever extend the daily hours of operation. “It would be difficult to extend our hours this semester,” he said, “But if people contact me and there is enough interest, it’s a possible option for next semester.”

He went on to explain that he heard requests for more weekend hours at the residency hall meetings, which took place on Oct. 19.

“Library use has decreased dramatically for most schools,” Millette explained, “Because so much information is available online, most students don’t feel the need to use libraries very often.”

Although this is true of most schools, Millette reported that the Griswold is being used just as much, if not more, than in the past. He thinks this reflects the engagement students have in their work, and the faculty’s ability to produce interesting research assignments that require library usage.

If you feel that you need a quiet safe-haven to escape into on weekend nights make sure to stop in the library and let your voice be heard.