(CU Independent file)
Norlin Commons is open 24 hours, four days a week; however, renting out books stops long before that.
This semester, students can check out books until 11:45 p.m. Monday through Thursday. This is an hour longer than in previous semesters. Funding was sought by the Dean of Libraries, James Williams II, and granted by the provost and vice chancellor of student affairs. A one-time amount of $5,000 was awarded to the Norlin Libraries for the extended hour.
This is a continuing demand from both students and faculty, said Deborah Fink, the planning and promotions librarian for Norlin.
“It’s a standard ongoing request,” Fink said. “It wasn’t one particular set of results, just cumulative input and feedback from over the years.”
Fink said the funding is mostly going toward student wages.
“There are two pools from which we need to have students on hand,” she said. “That is for circulation and security.”
Fink said the library is always looking for more ways to fund extra hours and to be able to offer security and check-out options at late hours, but they would have to have the funds to pay more student workers.
“We really rely on students keeping us open,” she said.
For the security crew as well as the circulation desk, it makes for a longer evening.
Caleb White, a 21-year-old junior architecture major who works at Norlin, said he notices the difference.
“I actually close so it makes it a little bit longer of a night,” White said.
White said he doesn’t feel the extra hour is adding much impact right now, but believes that will change.
“I mean it’s not as important right now at the beginning of the semester, but later on it will be important for kids trying to finish their school work and moving into finals,” he said.
Julie Frost, a 20-year-old sophomore speech, language and hearing science major, said she thinks the extra hour would be more useful at a different time.
“I feel like it would be more helpful if it was in the morning because it doesn’t open until noon on Sunday,” Frost said. “I just think a lot more people would come earlier than 11:45 at night.”
The library will be using head counts as well as electronic door counts to estimate numbers of students to evaluate the usefulness of the extended hour. Fink said they will evaluate again at the end of the semester and may request more funding to continue the extended hour.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Elaine Cromie at Elaine.cromie@colorado.edu.
