Saint Louis University students will now be able to study longer and harder, thanks to reforms prompted by the Student Government Association and enacted by the Pius XII Memorial Library staff.

On Nov. 1, Saint Louis University’s library extended its hours of operation. The library will now be open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 a.m., Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.

Previously, the library closed at 1:00 a.m. and opened at noon, on weekends.

“Students have requested longer hours for a number of years,” said Gail M. Staines, Ph.D., University librarian. “To accommodate that, we looked at our staffing and traffic, not only who uses the library but when it is used.”

SLU currently lacks a 24-hour study spot for students. Although SGA secured constant operation at Busch Student Center during the Spring 2006 semester, that arrangement ceased this fall due to low use during early morning hours.

Noisy dorm rooms also influenced students’ calls for a permanent study location. “Students are telling us that they cannot study in their dorms because [the dorms] are too noisy,” said Staines.

SGA senator Sarika Gupta agreed, saying, “I heard complaints last year that the dorms are distracting, especially if you have a test. If your roommate has a different sleeping schedule than you, you’re left wandering the campus at 3:00 a.m. looking for a place to study.”

Academic Vice President Gene Diamond said that the academic affairs committee discussed possible solutions to these problems and approached library officials, asking them to remain open later on the weekdays and open earlier on the weekends. “It seemed like the most logical location for a quiet and central study location,” Diamond said.

Staines obliged SGA’s request.

Gupta said of the library staff, “They were really receptive. They made all of the arrangements and gave a tentative start date of Nov. 1 for the extended hours at our first meeting, and they upheld that really well.”

Staines, who joined the SLU community on June 1, 2006, has worked with her staff during the past five months to develop a three-step strategy to better the University’s library facilities. These steps include better facilities for special collections, an increased budget for electronic databases and expansion of the library building. “In two years, the library will be 50 years old. Renovation is overdue, no pun intended,” Staines said.

The strategic plan is to be available online by the end of this semester.

Until then, the library’s extended hours will serve as a trial period, to see if legitimate need exists for a 24-hour study space at SLU. “We discussed extending the hours further if students were consistently utilizing [them],” Diamond said.

Gupta praised the library’s efforts and encouraged students to visit the library during the new hours. “The library will be closely monitoring use during the new hours. Students were still at the library at 1:00 a.m. last year, so the hours were extended to 2:00. If we stay until 2:00, maybe they will be extended to 3:00, and so on,” she said. “Obviously, we’re not stopping here, but it was a good first step.”

“Many universities have 24/7 access to the library. That’s the goal here,” said Staines. “The issue now is renovating the facilities.”