Library hours create difficulty
Midterm week is one of the busiest weeks when it comes to homework, papers and tests. Clearly, professors get together and decide that they will have three exams all in one day. Oh, and a few papers and a project are due, too. What a conspiracy!
So now, on the weekends, students arrive at Krannert Memorial Library only to find the lights off and a sign saying the library is closed. The librarians must have been in on the conspiracy, too.
As students, for one reason or another, we get behind on assignments. On rare occasions, we want to get ahead. The library weekend hours—Friday, 7:30 a.m.- 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.-11 p.m.—aren’t accommodating to a college student’s schedule.
So where can students go to study when the library is closed?
Roommates have to be considered when choosing a place to study, because their activities may conflict with your perfect study environment.
Students could study in the lobbies of residence halls, but that seems only to pose further issues, because those lobbies are filled with conversations, pool balls colliding, televisions playing and several laptops blaring music.
An alternative to studying in residence halls is the 24-hour computer lab located in the Sease Wing of the library.
However, this is not a sufficient solution, because there is still a noise issue. Think about it—the noise of at least 10 people typing away, music and a few conversations can cause difficulty concentrating for some students. Space also can become an issue, because the 24-hour access is limited to a classroom-size computer lab plus a few tables in the hallway. Also, the 24-hour computer lab does not give students access to materials on reserve that students are required to use for several different classes throughout the semester.
Extending the hours will give students a chance not only to study, but also to work. Hiring outside personnel for late night hours and early morning hours could be difficult. So why not hire students to work these hours? This would give students work experience and benefit other students who want to use the library to study.
With jobs, classes, meetings, restricted meal times, practices and L/P events, students should be able to find a place as easily as unzipping their book bags and pulling out study materials. It is just unfortunate that at UIndy it does not happen all the time.
