To better facilitate late night, last minute study sessions the Oviatt Library will be extending its regular hours of operation and remain open 24 hours during finals week.
Beginning Sunday May 10 the library will be available to students between the hours of 12 a.m. and 11:59 p.m.
For students’ convenience, the Circulation Desk, Collaboratory, Music and Media Center, Reserves and Periodicals, and the Teacher Curriculum Center will not close. However, the Reference and Information desks, Interlibrary Loan, and the Special Collections and Archives will not be open beyond regular hours.
In response to the results of a fee allocation student survey, $17,260 from the newly instated and much debated Campus Quality (CQ) Fee will be spent to supplement the library’s additional hours of operation.
‘This is a test run,’ said Peter Prager, special assistant to the dean of the library. ‘Students proposed things that they would like to put money toward, like the library being open 24 hours during finals this semester. If it works, we will continue it.’
Vice President of Student Affairs, Terry Piper said the library has already applied for funding for the next two semesters from the CQ Fee. However, if the extended hours were to become permanent, other funding would be necessary.
‘Outside funds would come out of new revenues from the campus. The money would come from increasing student fees, but only if we get back to a growing number of students,’ said Piper.
As the university has placed a hold on how many new students it will accept, in an attempt to lower enrollment by 1,800 to meet the predetermined enrollment target, this type of funding would be difficult to come by at this time said Piper.
Marianne Afifi, associate dean of Library Operations said that the library has yet to hear the results of their requests for future funding.
Whether or not the university will continue to offer longer library hours at finals time depends on how many students take advantage of the service.
‘If we find no one is here during the middle of the night we may just extend hours to two or three in the morning, but I hope that people will use it,’ said Afifi.
‘I didn’t know that the library would be open 24 hours during finals week,’ said Graphic Design and Arts Education major Brook Sosa, 21. ‘But I will use it. I live with my boyfriend and it is hard to study with the distractions at home. I am usually busy during the day with class or work, so having it (the library) open late would help a lot.’
Aside from additional time to study, the library will also increase security during its later hours.
While the Oviatt Library typically has student security officers that enforce proper library etiquette, the library will also have the help of campus police.
‘We plan to provide extra security to students to escort them to their cars,’ said Afifi.
The library will have two Matador Patrollers to increase security from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Until 2 a.m., these patrollers will work as escorts, walking students from the library to their cars.
‘After that time (2 a.m.) students will have to call campus police for an escort,’ said Library Circulation Services Supervisor, Mike Villalobos who is helping to coordinate security services.
If the 7,500 students surveyed as to how to use CQ Fee funds are, in fact, representative of the student population overall, CSUN students may get just what they asked for.
‘People have talked about this for quite a long time and this is a great opportunity to see if it works,’ said Prager.
‘I will definitely take advantage of the library’s extended hours,’ said Business Administration major Luis Carrillo, 23. ‘It’s one of the few havens students have. I mean, I can’t get anything done at home. This seems like a worthwhile expenditure (of student fees).’
