Zahnow Library should be open 24 hours

The Zanhow Library is one of the most important student resources on campus, with four floors and easy access to printers and technology; however, its limited hours of operation hinders students. 

The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m.. On the weekends, shorter hours are to be assumed. While these hours could be considered optimal, I believe the library should be open twenty-four hours during the week. 

Many students go to the library to focus and study uninterrupted, and it’s the only place on campus that has an unmatched abundance of resources and space. It gives students a place away from dorms where they can work on homework without distractions from personal spaces. For the most part, the library is able to provide that solace — until it closes. 

I have been a victim to the library closing many times. I would be completely focused on my work until the warning would come over the speakers to let library patrons know that the doors were about to be shut. 

The Cardinal Commons is right outside of the library, but I’ve found that studying in its dark atmosphere can be adverse to my studying mindset. 

I would propose to keep the first floor of the library and the science building open 24 hours Monday through Friday. Closing the second, third, and fourth floors would be helpful to the front desk workers. The weekend hours could also remain unchanged so cleaning and maintenance can still take place when needed. 

This change would be beneficial to many students. For one, they wouldn’t have to worry about having late-night study sessions in their dorm where they might risk waking their roommates. The library also has free access to computers, printers, and study rooms on the first floor that students might need at any time. 

One of the caveats I can see in this proposal is that student workers help run the library: do we really want to sacrifice their time so we can study for longer? My answer is no. 

Library faculty would undoubtedly have to take on these late-night shifts in the likely event that student workers don’t want to have a sleepover in the science building on a school night.

Another issue arises from this idea: parking. Between commuters and students who just don’t want to walk 15 minutes at 3 a.m., the free parking situation would have to change. The easiest solution would be to instill twenty-four hour free parking during the week so no one would have to risk a ticket. 

Overall, the extension of library hours during the week would be beneficial to students who need a comfortable space to work on assignments and classwork without tying stress to their personal spaces. If we want SVSU students to succeed, one of the most crucial parts of maintaining success is to provide the resources to do so.