Library 24/7 2011 - General Feedback

[d67a9y]

After a successful trial of 24 hour opening in 2010, Library 24/7 is back this year for the first four weeks of the University exam term. Starting at 9am on Easter Monday, 25 April and ending at midnight on Friday 20 May, the Main Library and Queen's Campus Library will be offering Library 24/7 opening hours. You can find out more information about Library 24/7 at http://www.dur.ac.uk/library/247

What do you find good about Library 24/7? What doesn't work and could be improved? Have you had any problems using this service? How does Library 24/7 in 2011 compare to last year? Would you use Library 24/7 if we offered this service again in 2012?

Let us know your thoughts and ideas about Library 24/7 opening below.

[dlck34]

wait, so it ends like 1/4 of the way through the exam period?

[d61r52]

I'm very glad the library is going 24 hours again, however, it would be much more useful if it continued until the end of exams!

[lqzf64]

I agree with the other two posts and hopefully there'll be more response from other students, but it would be really beneficial if the scheme continued throughout exams like it did last year. Obviously by the last week it would have died down a little bit...most people may have finished by then, but there are many of us who still have exams running through until the last week of May and would make good use of the 24/7 hours. It seems stupid to stop 1/4 way through exams...what's the point in having the scheme if it isn't going to be available for the whole of this stressful period!?

[cgtn85]

Also agree - working at home or in college is fine when everyone has exams but it's once people start finishing that you really need to use the 24/7 library to get away from the noise and distractions. I actually used the 24/7 library far more once exams had started. If there is still possibility of extending 24/7 library period, please consider this! It seems only fair to the people who finish exams late.

[fcpw63]

For me it doesn't make sense to have the 24/7 policy into half-way through the exam period - either return to normal hours before exams start (to avoid awful sleeping patterns) or continue it until exams finish. A bigger issue for me though is that the libraries' vacation hours are rubbish - why does it go from 9-5 to 24/7 over one weekend? There were lots of students in the QC library that would gladly have worked past 5pm in the library. I think the libraries should be open until 8pm during the Easter vacation.

[dul0jah]

Thank you to all of you who have commented on 24/7 opening hours. The reason we have cut down from 6 to 4 weeks of opening 24/7 was in part due to the significantly reduced number of people making use of 24/7 during the final 2 weeks last year. We also took in to consideration comments from the colleges and DSU about the welfare of students.

Re the Easter vacation opening hours at Queen's Campus Library, we keep a record of how many people visit the library each day, and our statistics do not currently support opening the library for longer during this vacation. If the number of people visiting Queen's Campus Library during future Easter vacations increases substantially we will of course seriously examine how we could afford to increase opening hours considering there very likely won't be additional money in the library budget to achieve this.

Yours sincerely
Jane Hodgson
Queen's Campus Library Manager

[fcpw63]

Thank you for the reply Jane. Considering costs as well I can fully understand the limited opening hours - out of interest did the number of library users pick up a lot near the end of the vacation, though? At the start of the vacation it was virtually empty, certainly, I wonder if perhaps in the last week of the vacation numbers picked up significantly enough. Although I'm a finalist I do believe slightly later hours would benefit others in the future (though not as much as if the same students went in for 9am, of course).

On a slightly different note I haven't tried one myself but the new netbooks are going down very well and very good timing!

[dul0jah]

Thanks for your comments re the opening hours at Queen's Campus Library during the Easter vacation.

The number of people visiting Queen's Campus Library between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday during the Easter vacation 2011 was well over 50% less than the number of visits made in the same time period during the Epiphany term. Statistics we have for previous years show a similar pattern and this is a factor in why we haven't pursued extending library opening hours during the Easter vacation at Queen's Campus. Opening hours are constantly under review, and I am sure we will continue to examine the need to extend them as and when appropriate, provided we have the resources to do so.

Thanks for your positive comment about the net-books - I'm glad they are proving to be popular with the students at Queen's Campus Library. That's really good to know.

Yours sincerely
Jane Hodgson
Queen's Campus Library Manager

[fnbl56]

I love the library being open 24/7, but like others though I wish it wasn't for such a restricted period.

I understand the reasons you have given for this, but as more people finish their exams, the fewer students who still have revision are in greater need of access to the Library, because those who have already finished will be distracting them if they are trying to revise at home.

As for student welfare, those who are working too hard will be just as inclined to do so in college or in their rooms. Reducing opening hours will not improve their welfare. And for those who are not in danger of working too hard, having 24 hour library access makes the exam period much less stressful, as they have more flexibility and can work at whatever time and for as long as they feel is necessary. I find it very difficult to believe that 24/7 opening hours have a negative impact upon student welfare, and personally find it to have the opposite effect. I feel much calmer and more able to cope knowing that I can work when I want to and for as long as suits me.