A majority of the rooms in the Charles E. Young Research Library will stay open 24 hours for all of 10th and finals week for the first time this quarter.
The expansion of overnight campus study spaces comes from a collaboration between university library officials and the Undergraduate Students Association Council president’s office. Most of the Charles E. Young Research Library will stay open overnight, except for some sections that students do not generally use for studying, such as special collections. All of Powell Library will also stay open 24 hours during 10th and finals week this quarter, as it did last spring quarter.
Library officials decided to keep all of Powell Library open 24 hours during 10th and finals week last spring as part of the UCLA Library’s Stress-Busters Program. The program started in 2012 with the goal of giving students healthy avenues to relieve stress. Charles E. Young Research Library also stayed open for 24 hours for four days during finals week last spring as part of the initiative.
The extended operating hours served as a pilot program for the libraries during the last academic year.
Based on positive student feedback, library officials began planning the logistics of keeping Charles E. Young Research Library open 24 hours for more days during 10th and finals week, said Carlo Medina, head of access services at the Charles E. Young Research Library.
“Because we did it on a smaller scale last year, we better understood how to successfully employ (the extended library hours) this year,” Medina said.
USAC President John Joanino said he advocated for the library to stay open for all of 10th and finals week because he saw a high need for study spaces on campus, especially during the last weeks of each academic quarter when students are preparing for their finals.
Medina said Joanino’s push for the Charles E. Young Research Library to stay open for the two full weeks helped drive the idea home for library officials who were considering the option.
Since library officials factored extra expenses associated with the libraries’ extended hours into their budgets this year, they are able to keep the libraries open while working within their set budget, Medina said.
Both Powell Library and Charles E. Young Research Library are also planned to stay open 24 hours for 10th and finals week during winter and spring quarters this academic year. BruinCards will be required for entry from 7 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. during that time.
Joanino said he is looking into ways to further expand study spaces and services for students on campus.
Compiled by Amanda Schallert, Bruin senior staff.