The proposal for keeping Pius XII Memorial Library open 24 hours is a lot like shopping for a coveted Christmas gadget.

Like a new laptop or Blackberry, you desperately want it when you see it on the shelf. But when you glimpse at the price tag and feel the sticker shock, you reevaluate that desire. Change may be justified, but the money and time required cause you to examine whether the pay-off is worth the cost.

Students have spent years complaining about SLU’s lack of a 24-hour study space. Each building at SLU seems to shut down long before students do. And, at least once, every student sits scowling in his or her dorm room at 3 a.m., plowing through a term paper, in spite of blaring televisions or heated arguments down the hall.

In this light, a quiet space seems necessary. After much effort on the part of Student Government Association senators, plans for a library open every hour of the day are in the works.

It is possible that these plans are nearer to reality than ever before. Labor for keeping the library open is expected to cost the most, while the installation of a new, electronic card-swiping system is expected to cost $8,000.

Just like newfangled gifts, new-and-improved plans come with a cost. Keeping the library open all the time will be expensive. Will it be worth the cost?

The library, now 50 years old, is in dire need of a makeover. Too much material could, theoretically, cause one of the upper floors to collapse.

Plus, it may be unwise to tempt workaholics and procrastinators, alike, with the lure of a quiet desk on demand.

And then, the most obvious question: Where’s the guarantee that anyone will even use the library, while the rest of the world sleeps or parties the night away?

It’s worth asking if this cash could be better spent on something else.

During finals week, the library is likely to attempt a few all-nighters of its own. For supporters, this is certainly the week to choose. Like the sparkle of a new gadget, however, the novelty of an all-night library (however tame that may sound) will wear off. Before making the switch to round-the-clock hours, SGA and library officials should make sure the facility will actually be used at 4 a.m. or 6 a.m.

In the meantime, why not keep the library open later on weekends? Studious researchers and undergraduates in a time-crunch might actually work after 9 p.m. on a Friday or 6 p.m. on a Saturday.

Before making witching-hour study dates a sanctioned possibly, let’s make sure this long-awaited desire is worth the investment.