Hey AP,
I was wondering why the library doesn’t have 24 hour access for students in Bostok Library?
ANSWER PERSON RESPONDS: Please see the answer in the regular paper suggestion book to 3220C. Basically, for student and collection security reasons we can’t have the library opened when unstaffed and we have to balance the costs of staffing with the minimal use that it would get at 4, 5, or 6 in the morning. If we can get staff, we’re considering an extension of the hours until 4:00 AM, and it’s already open 24 hours during finals.
Since it might be a while before it gets posted to the web, here it 3220C and answer:
Q: Why does a top-5 university have a library that is not open 24 hours?
A: We try to base our service hours balancing demand and staffing costs, and we do keep some study areas open all night (e.g., Gothic and Deryl Hart Reading Rooms). Looking at the hours of other libraries, Princeton’s main library closes at 11:45, Yale’s at midnight, Stanford’s at midnight, and Harvard at 11:00, so I think they’ve come to similar conclusions about 24-hour service. In fact, we’re open more.