Staff Editorial | Extended library hours needed throughout semester

The end-of-semester rush of academic assignments results in students flocking to the library with hopes of plowing through research papers, portfolio revisions, and exam preparations in a work-oriented space. For late-night studiers that find themselves frustrated by the 1:30 a.m. closing bell throughout the semester, the library extends its hours from 1:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday and from 10 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays during study week and exams. Clearly, these extended hours help during the most academically rigorous time of the year, but the library should stay open longer during the regular semester as well, particularly on Fridays and Saturdays.

According to a survey conducted by the Library Committee in fall 2005, 70 percent of students indicated a desire for more extended hours during exams, and 50 percent of students surveyed wanted extended night hours throughout the semester. Although longer hours during study week and the exam period are a positive change, the library should heed survey indications for extended hours during the semester as well.

For students who must leave their noisy dorms to study, the library should be an available space beyond 1:30 a.m. Many students have on-campus jobs, extracurricular commitments, or seminars during the day and evening, and so they must devote late evening and night hours to studying but are unable do so sufficiently with the current library hours. On Fridays and Saturdays, the library closes just three hours after dinnertime, which is not enough time to complete weekend assignments.

Also, weekend evenings may be the only chance for student-athletes to prepare for the coming week’s classes, particularly when they have away games. The library closing at 10 p.m. on weekend nights during the semester makes it virtually impossible to finish work before Sunday night, especially if assignments require research materials housed in the library.

The library does not open until 10 a.m. on Sundays, even during the exam period, which hinders early risers’ ability to accomplish much before the afternoon. While students could arguably study in their dorms, the library is a space intended for academic study, with resources for research and printing that are not available from a dorm room.

Just as we shouldn’t leave for tomorrow what can be done today, the library’s shortened hours on Fridays and Saturdays encourage procrastination and discourage students who might prefer to get their work done on weekend nights rather than Sunday. Closing at 1:30 a.m. during the school week also imposes an unreasonable expectation that students will finish all their work by this time. The College has already recognized that 1:30 a.m. is not a practical closing time at the end of the semester, and ought to acknowledge that a student’s workload from the start of the semester also warrants longer hours.

During tours for prospective students, Vassar tour guides often say that the College closes the library early on weekends in order to encourage students to have social lives outside the classroom. But the College should take into account that as independent thinkers, students are capable of achieving their own balance between studying and socializing. Besides, leisure activities do not have to be reserved for nighttime hours, and students who would like to relax during the day on weekends and work on weekend evenings to complete their assignments ahead of time should be able to do so. Academic support should be a priority since Vassar is first and foremost an academic institution, and the library ought to be a study space which accommodates students’ schedules and study habits throughout the semester.

The Staff Editorial represents at least a two-thirds majority of the Editorial Board.