News

College Library to be open 24 hours, 5 days a week

Due to the high demand of students requesting a round-the-clock library, the university library system and the Associated Students of Madison announced Aug. 5 that College Library would be open 24 hours a day, fve days a week beginning fall semester.

The decision came after analyzing the usage of the small wing in the Memorial Library, which was open 24 hours, seven days a week between Sept. 2, 2002, and May 30, 2003, excluding official breaks.

During spring semester, ASM collected nearly 3,000 petitions from students who were in favor of a 24-hour library on campus.

“We need a 24-hour library so every student, regardless of their schedule, has an opportunity to utilize all the wonderful services College Library has to offer,” said Matt Modell, outgoing chair of ASM’s 24-hour library campaign. Modell has since resigned all association with ASM to take a position with the Badger Herald. “This is also beneficial to students who want to study past 2:45 a.m. or before 9:30 a.m., which is when I believe the library previously opened,” he added.

Modell has been working to open a 24-hour library since spring semester of 2002.

According to Ken Frazier, the University of Wisconsin Library director, the small wing of Memorial Library was opened in mid-September as a trial to see how many people would use a 24-hour library.

Statistics showed that approximately 23,906 students used the small wing of the library after hours during the 2002-‘03 school year. The study area seemed to draw many occasional users rather than a smaller number of regular users.

“It was found that few of the same students used the facility most of the time, but rather a lot of students used it once in a while,” Frazier said.

Frazier noted that at high-demand periods, more than 300 people used the facility on any given night between Sunday and Thursday. Statistics also showed that on Friday and Saturday nights, usage dropped to zero.

According to Modell, student surveys found that College Library was preferred, due to more resources available.

“Students will now have silent study areas, group study areas, a complete computer lab available, reserved items, ability to check out items, and access to vending machines,” Modell said. “The small wing of Memorial Library that had been available 24 hours was being utilized, and that did not offer hardly any of the resources that College Library will offer to students.”

One concern stemming from College Library’s new hours is the possible effect on the cleanliness of the building. Last year, Memorial Library was found to be messiest during the late hours.

“We’re worried about the physical condition of the building,” Frazier said. “I think the greatest challenge would be keeping College Library cleaned.”

Beginning fall semester, College Library will now open at 10 a.m. Sunday and remain open until 11:45 p.m. Friday. The library will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.

According to Frazier, the small wing of Memorial Library will no longer be open 24 hours.