ETSU students: Change in library hours to limit access to educational resource

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — East Tennessee State University (ETSU) students aren’t happy about the discussions to limit the library’s hours of operation.

Campus library officials say the library is currently on a “24/5” schedule. According to officials, the building opens Sunday morning and stays open until Friday at midnight. On Saturday, the library closes at midnight. The building is on a “24/7” schedule during dead and finals weeks.

Library administration is considering not being open in the early morning hours. This change could come as early as fall 2024.

Sophomore Lillian McMaster used the library on Wednesday to finish up her biology homework.

“I am a person that has to work in a low-distraction environment in order to get work done and the library is the best place for me to do that,” McMaster said.

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McMaster is one of many students on campus who value the library as an educational resource. She said she knows undergraduates preparing for graduate school who have to pull all-nighters and the library is the best place to do that without disturbing their roommates. LaVada DelConte, a junior, said she often comes to the library after getting out of class.

“I will have classes that end at seven o’clock or eight o’clock at night and nobody’s in here, so it’s quiet,” DelConte said. “And it allows us to do research. I can do research at three o’clock in the morning and still utilize the computers.”

But, budget changes and low foot traffic during early morning hours have Dean of Libraries David Atkins looking where to make cuts. Data on foot traffic taken of visitors both entering and exiting the library shows very few students come in between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.

“We average maybe one or two people coming in the building during those times,” Atkins said. “There’s probably more than that in the building…is this a priority? Do we need to invest elsewhere in the building with the resources I have?”

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Atkins said the library has experienced the effects of inflation too. The temporary workers who are hired have higher pay. Plus, inflation has affected collections, technology, and things the library buys. Atkins said the library has to budget around $70,000 a year just to cover inflation.

Atkins is looking at taking the funds spent on the hours with low traffic data and putting it toward getting better Wi-fi and cell service in the building, along with paying student employees higher wages.

Certainly appreciative of students’ value of the library as a resource, Atkins said he wants to receive student input on this issue.

“If you’re going to make any decisions on this, about anything, especially this library, students need to be involved,” DelConte said.

Library administration plans to meet with the Student Government Association on April 23 to further discuss hours of operation for the library. Atkins said he has been talking with SGA since this past fall about this change.

Additionally, a change in future hours of operation for the library would not affect the “24/7” schedule for dead and finals weeks.

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