Extending Library Hours
The Standard and Kate Shellenberg, Director of Academic Affairs

1. Who will be/is in the library hour’s committee?

The exact members that will serve on the committee are to be determined, but the Academic Affairs committee will have representatives among the members.

2. Will the committee focus solely on searching for the funding needed for extended hours in the library? If so, what will the extended hours be?

Searching for funding will be the main goal of this committee. We have already met with Dean of Library Services, Neosha Mackey, and she is receptive to our proposal. The committee will explore creative solutions as to how best to fund this initiative. As the data collected from students show, 2 am Sunday through Wednesday (or technically Monday through Thursday since it is after the midnight hour) is the desired extension time.

3. Have there been any ideas yet on where to get the funding for extended hours?

No solid ideas have been formed at this time. As ideas are formed, the Academic Affairs Committee will bring those updates to Senate. We do believe that we can significantly cut the proposed expenses down.

4. What costs would the library have for extending their hours?

See attached worksheet* to see what the library has estimated. Notice that these estimates are for keeping ALL areas of the library open throughout the entire week for a year. One objective of this committee will be to determine which areas of the library need to be open and when. From here, we will determine what possible cost cuts could come from there. The custodial cost is a large amount covered in this estimate. That cost is extremely tentative. The custodial staff needs to determine if they will be able to maintain the same level of cleanliness with a reduction in cleaning time. We believe we will be able to maintain the same levels of upkeep with the extension of hours, so hopefully that cost can be eliminated. We are also looking to fund the extension of the computer lab hours through SCUF or a reallocation of current open-access lab services.

5. Will other groups or organizations be involved with finding funding for this project?

To be determined by the committee.

6. How does this best serve Missouri State students? Do you believe there will be a significant improvement for students by extending library hours? Why?

We yielded 973 student responses regarding extending library services. The vast majority indicated a strong preference for extending library hours. We believe this will benefit students for many reasons. While handing out surveys several students mentioned that they leave the library at midnight and move to Cheek Hall to continue studying in the open access lab. We are working to ensure that this service best fits the needs of students.

*a worksheet was provided in the correspondence.