Reese Library to test overnight hours

Students looking to burn the midnight oil will soon have the chance to utilize the services of Reese Library 24/7, thanks to a 12-week pilot program looking at the feasibility of having a library that’s always open.

Starting in mid-February, faculty, staff, and students from all GRU campuses will be able to access Reese Library services at all hours of the day and night, an opportunity the library staff finds exciting.

“I can’t emphasize enough how much we’re excited about making this happen for students,” said Librarian Associate Professor Barb Mann. “We want to serve our user population the best way we can. This is something they said they wanted, and we were able to come up with the resources to make it happen, at least as a pilot.”

During the program, access to the library will be limited to GRU affiliates from 10:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. Public safety officers as well as staff will be making regular rounds to ensure the safety of the users and to confirm that library rules are being followed. Though no cash functions will be offered, users will be able to reserve study rooms and check out books and other items, including headphones and whiteboard markers.

After the pilot program has ended, library officials will evaluate the statistics and comments to gauge the program’s success and decide whether to implement the full 24/7 program or a scaled-down version of extended hours.

According to Mann, extending library hours is a trend at universities across the country. Students are requesting the extra opportunity to use libraries and their services, and institutions are anxious to provide students a safe place to work, especially when it brings them in contact with the resources they need to do their research and complete their assignments.