Noble Library will be open for fewer hours this semester as ASU's library services face financial constraints. The change left students upset and confused.
The library previously was open for 24 hours from Monday through Thursday and most of the day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This semester, its hours are 7 a.m. to midnight. Monday through Thursday, with shorter hours on weekends.
Jennifer Duvernay, the associate university librarian for communications and web services, said the budget has been a pressing issue for ASU's library services, prompting the University to cut Noble's hours.
"We have to be really responsible and really assess and make the most of the resources we have," Duvernay said.
The goal was to maximize the library's human resources with as little impact on students as possible, Duvernay said.
In its annual report, the University Senate's Library Liaison Committee acknowledged "the structural underfunding of the ASU Library."
The Library Liaison Committee, part of the University Senate representing ASU faculty, advises the University librarian on library policy, according to its website.
According to the report, the committee and the University librarian reviewed budget constraints and staffing shortages to identify how the library could support the University's needs. ASU Library funding is approximately $26 million per year, much lower than peer universities like the University of Michigan, which has a budget of $72 million a year for its libraries.
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University Senate President Elisa Kawam and Library Liaison Committee Chair Taylor Hines said in a joint written statement that it was a difficult decision to curtail two services: the evening shift at high-density library shelving and overnight hours at Noble Library.
"We recognize that the loss of overnight library access may be concerning for students, and we especially value the perspectives of students in our mission to better understand and communicate the impact of Library budgeting decisions," Kawam and Hines stated.
The statement said decisions about library operations and funding are made by library and University leadership.
Engineering students heavily used Noble Library's 24-hour weekday service. Some students would stay into the early morning, especially during exam season, said Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering ambassadors Oliver Koenders and Katie Gist.
Koenders, a junior studying computer systems engineering, said they valued the library's convenience and knew people who used it as a safe space to study.
Gist, a junior studying mechanical engineering, expressed surprise at the change.
"There's actually no reason for it to be not 24 hours anymore when so many people use it for the 24 hours," Gist said.
Both Gist and Koenders said the library's hours were a valuable and consistent student resource for studying, printing and working with classmates at any time.
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On Thursday, Cole Daugard, a senior studying history, created a petition with a goal of 5,120 signatures, which is around 10% of the Tempe campus's population, attempting to convince the administration to reinstate the old schedule.
Daugard said organizing the petition was motivated by a desire to stand up for the students who use the library.
"It was a noble cause — it's a Noble Library," Daugard said. "I didn't see anyone doing anything about it."
The petition currently has over 400 signatures.
Recent alumna Olivia Bagby, who graduated earlier this year with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, signed the petition.
"Having a 24 hour library accessible to students is so valuable," Bagby wrote in a comment on the petition. "As a recent ASU graduate, I could not have achieved my success without some of my late night studying sessions."
Daugard said maintaining and budgeting for a 24-hour library is an issue that should be prioritized.
"I go to university to study and to learn," Daugard said. "I expect the budgeting to be in line with that priority."
In a written statement, a spokesperson for ASU Library said choices had to be made to ensure optimal service.
"We unfortunately can't offer all the services we would like to, and had to make difficult decisions to best serve the ASU community," the spokesperson stated.
Edited Andi Ruiz, Carsten Oyer and Senna James.
Reach the reporter at achern41@asu.edu.
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Ariana Hernandez is a part-time reporter at The State Press. This is her first semester with The State Press. She is in her sophomore year studying Journalism and Political Science.
