Library hours extended

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Beginning Feb. 22, Jane Bancroft Cook Library began operating on extended hours. It will be open until 4:00 a.m. on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays for the remainder of the semester. The longer hours of operation are the result of a student-led initiative that began in the spring of 2011.

“Last year, Thayer Warne and several members of the CAA worked with Dean Doherty and library staff members to extend hours during exam week,” New College Student Alliance (NCSA) President Michael Long told the Catalyst in an e-mail. “We continued those extended hours this past fall semester as well. Following that week of extended hours there was an overwhelming positive response and many requests to continue the hours throughout the rest of the semester.”

With the continued demand for extended library hours in the spring semester, two student positions were created to staff the library during the hours. “The first priority was ensuring that the library would be well-staffed and security concerns were sufficiently addressed,” Long said. “Two students were hired rather than one to offset both of these factors. The campus police department will also monitor the library during the 12:00 a.m. – 4:00 a.m. hours with regular check-ins.”

Because of budget cuts the library has endured, funding for the extended hours is being furnished by the NCSA and the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee student government. “Preliminary estimates are approximately $2,000 for the remainder of the spring semester,” Dean Brian Doherty told the Catalyst via e-mail. “This is an important gesture, as the Library has had its budget cut significantly this year.”

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