Carnegie Library will remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week during reading days and final exams.

The extended hours in Carnegie are being put in place to accommodate student needs for silent study space, according to an April 21 Syracuse University news release. They will go into effect on Friday, and will continue through May 8. The change applies to the Carnegie Library Reading Room.  The building’s service desk will also remain open until midnight from Sunday through Thursday, and until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night until May 8.

E.S. Bird Library will also be open 24 hours a day from Friday through May 8. In addition to the change in hours, the building will have an adjusted entrance policy on Friday. SU Libraries will extend the implementation of its evening security on Friday at noon until 10 a.m., according to the release.

Pamela McLaughlin, director of communications for SU Libraries, said as far as she knows, Carnegie Library has never operated on a 24-hour schedule. She added that the libraries partnered with the Department of Public Safety to provide staffing for the extended hours.

Federico Vicente, chair of the Student Association’s Academic Affairs Committee, said in an email that the committee sent a series of emails to Carnegie administrators about having the library extend its hours.

“We found the university wasn’t utilizing an area where hundreds of students use to study day-by-day during one of the most academically challenging weeks of the semester,” Vicente said.

He added that the administration wasn’t aware of the large interest in extending the building’s hours, and was very open to the idea. Carnegie administration also saw it as an opportunity for students to use the newly renovated facilities in the building, Vicente said.

Patrick Neary, president of the Graduate Student Organization, said space is often limited during finals week since so many students require quiet study space. He said the new renovations to the Carnegie Library Reading Room have provided extra space that many graduate students have taken advantage of, and continue to take advantage of, during finals week.

“Without the renovations, there would be little need to keep the building open 24/7,” Neary said. “With the new Reading Room, there is now good general use space to be opened up.”

Neary said many graduate students have been appreciative of the Carnegie improvements. He said it’s been well patrolled, which allowed the room serving its purpose as a quite study space.

“Opening it 24/7 ensures there’s a good consistently quiet space on campus, although I hope it doesn’t become a noisy place overnight,” he said. “People studying overnight are rarely loud, so I don’t think this will be an issue.”

Published on April 23, 2014 at 2:25 am

Contact Brett: blsamuel@syr.edu | @Brett_Samuels27