At last, the University's night owls will be able to go somewhere other than Littlejohn's after 2 a.m.
At yesterday morning's Board of Visitors meeting, President John T. Casteen III announced the University will support Student Council's long-standing plea to provide 24-hour service at Clemons Library. The University's most popular library currently closes its doors during the week after 2 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday nights at midnight.
Council passed a resolution calling for a 24-hour library last November.
Council President Joe Bilby was a College representative at the time, the proposal was passed. He sponsored the proposal after months of meetings with library officials and other administrators.
"We find that the quality of ... Joe's proposal is pretty impressive," Casteen said to the Board yesterday, while adding that the administration wants to ensure Clemons has "real utilization as opposed to people sleeping in it."
Student opinion is highly in favor of the plan. Surveys conducted by the University library system found that a substantial number of students cited "extending library hours" as one of the best services the library could provide.
"Although I personally wouldn't use it most of the time, it would be nice to have the option available if I had something particularly urgent to study for," second-year College student Matthew Aldred said.
Last year Bilby went on a people-counting campaign, visiting the library at 1:30 a.m. over several nights. He found an average of 165 students studying in the library.
According to University-compiled statistics, an average of about 123 students study at Clemons at 4:30 a.m. during final exam week, when the library remains open 24 hours.
The library supported the plan last year, factoring the added costs into its budget request, but the funding was denied by the Provost's Office.
Now, with Casteen's endorsement, the necessary funds will be allocated to implement Council's resolution and keep the library open.
"I'm very excited that the proposal went through so quickly," Bilby said. "Casteen has been quick to provide his support throughout the process."
To ease concern about safety inside the library during off-peak hours, the plan's proponents have slated funds for technology to provide student-only access using swipe cards and for additional surveillance devices. Funding the startup cost to do so - $15,000 - was one of many hurdles the advocates had to jump.
Additional yearly funding of $68,000 would cover salaries and other costs.
Half the funding for the proposal will come from the University's central operating budget, with the other half of the money coming from President Casteen's own discretionary fund, said Leonard W. Sandridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The yearlong struggle of Student Council has finally paid off in "one of the most extensive library projects we've ever had," Casteen said at the Board meeting yesterday.
(Cavalier Daily Associate Editor Jaime Levi contributed to this story.)
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