Library agrees to 24-hour schedule
The JB Morell library could soon be open 24-hours following pressure from the student body for longer opening hours.
The results come after a survey conducted to assess student satisfaction with existing library services revealed many students to be frustrated with the current opening hours, especially in the run-up to summer exams, and as a result, the library has begun drawing up plans for a 24-hour operating schedule.
YUSU Policy and Campaigns Officer Tom Langrish, who has been involved in the fight for extended library hours for some time, described the current opening hours as “shocking”, adding that, “a world-class university like York needs and deserves a world-class library. At the moment, York’s library does not cater for the diverse student population at key points of the year.”
The issue of library hours has been a matter of contention on campus for some time. Last term, YUSU Academic and Welfare Officer, Charlie Leyland, proposed a motion, later passed at YUSU council, to action both herself and President Tom Scott to lobby for 24-hour library opening during term time. She admitted at the time that there were several hurdles to overcome before such opening hours could be implemented, most importantly the issue of adequate staffing and security.
“We need to improve security so that the library is not misused, especially by members of the public,” she said.
Although plans are now being formed for a 24-hour library, it is unlikely to be implemented this year, due to the costs and practical implications which must be considered. Currently, the library is unstaffed past 9.00 each evening, and a 24-hour opening would require a greater staffing and security presence. However, changes are underway, with the current opening time of the library being put forward to 8.00 (instead of 8.30) on Monday to Friday throughout the academic year, and the library will stay open until midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as earlier in the week. There are also plans to extend opening hours during part of April, July and September when students are in need for exam preparation.
The idea of a 24/7 library has received a mixed reception amongst students. “The idea of a “24-hour library” is ridiculous,” commented first year History of Art student Hattie Buxton. “Not only is it a drain on resources which could be better used elsewhere, but it encourages hysterical work habits. The latter is hugely detrimental to both the health of students and the quality of work that is written.”
The concern that such opening hours could be interpreted as the Univerisity and the Students Union encouraging an unhealthy work ethic in students has been recognised by Leyland, and she was keen to emphasize that help will be provided to help students manage their time: “We don’t want to be seen to condone people working for 24 hours,,” she said, “so we need to look into welfare provisions and doing campaigns about how to manage your academic workload.”
She was, however, very positive about the steps taken by the university, commenting that, “I’m thrilled to bits that the library has agreed to work towards this with some immediate improvements to opening hours happening already. By extending ‘term-time’ hours to the week before exam time hopefully students will find the doors open when they most need to use the library.”
Any students wishing to provide feedback regarding library provision can email acwelf@yusu.org or visit Charlie Leyand in the YUSU offices.
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I don’t understand this dichotomy between working late and academic unhealthiness. If a student so chooses, they should be free to work at whatever time suits them best.
There’s nothing “unhealthy” about choosing to work at night. As long as you remember that you’re always on borrowed time, then late nights can be the most productive time to tackle an assignment: no distractions and no interruptions.
Any assumed link between reduced “quality of work” and working hours is a total falsehood – some of the best, most successful students I know are late workers. And they’d probably be even better if they could obtain the books they need on-demand all night long.
The acknowledgement that different ways and times of working exist isn’t limited to University. In the real world, the best employers acknowledge that a “one-size-fits-all” working policy is not effective: some people prefer to work last minute, or late at night, or early in the morning.
I wholeheartedly applaud YUSU for persuing what I see as such a useful provision.
And honestly, what would a first year HoA student know about real work anyway?
– Chris Lewis, 4th Year MEng Electronics
What a waste of resources.The few who will be working through the night in need of actually checking out books, especially in the hours between 2am and 6am, will be _very_ few, and security will still have to be paid for for those hours every single day for as long as the University chooses to keep the library 24/7 (indefinitely). By taking the 24/7 approach in the Library when the university already makes provisions for 24/7 studying in all of the colleges, we students have chosen to take money out of the budget from other things for a problem which could have been solved with simple extended hours. I’m a serious fan of the all-nighter– I have to be with my dissertation– and I appreciate the luxury of being able to check out a book at any time of night, but it really is a luxury, and the student clamoring for a 24/7 library still doesn’t make sense to me.