24 hour libraries

Northumbria Students’ Union is currently running one of it’s biggest campaigns ever, the 24 Hour Library Opening Hours Campaign. The Students’ Union firmly believes that there is a need and requirement for late night studying as students are constantly telling them this.

This campaign was voted for at the Students’ Union Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2006 as being the most important issue for them as students today and also the area that the Students’ Union could have the biggest impact on their lives as students by campaigning on it.

The Executive Committee regularly receive feedback from students that they would benefit from 24-hour opening hours in the library, particularly around exam and dissertation time. As such the Students’ Union has asked that the university pilot a scheme to test 24 hour library opening this academic year.

Current library opening hours are 8.30am until midnight (Monday to Friday) and 9.30am until midnight (weekends). The Students’ Union believes that these are a significant improvement on previous opening times but continues to receive feedback that these hours still do not provide sufficient access to students at the times they require the service.

The University currently offers 24-hour facilities within Pandon Building, but the Students’ Union receives a large amount of feedback to suggest that these are not as conducive to effective study as the library which has had major investment in recent years. Most importantly Pandon Building does not provide access for students to the books that they need, when they need them.

Student Union Objective:

For the University to agree to run a pilot scheme of 24/7 library opening hours during term 3 of this academic year (23rd April 2007 – 1st June 2007).

If successful within this period for 24/7 library opening hours to be operated permanently during academic term time. The Students’ Union must be fully involved in defining and agreeing terms for a successful pilot scheme.

We asked our students to put their name to the campaign by filling in a postcard petition which you can pick up from the Students’ Union Buildings on both City and Coach Lane Campus.

Martin Farr, President, Northumbria

University of Teesside Students' Union

We didn't really campaign at all, but secured an increase in the library opening hours by lobbying the University, and presenting a paper to them.

Rachel Jones, Education and Welfare Officer Convenor, North East, Yorkshire & Humber Area NUS

University of East Anglia

This is about to begin here. A student produced a petition, which the Union is helping to distribute. This probably won’t be a huge campaign though, as key staff in the Library are very sympathetic (and are looking into possibilities already) – I can’t give too much information because we haven’t done much planning yet, but I’d be very surprised if this campaign failed.

Tessa Academic officer

Queen Mary Students Union

Queen Mary ran a campaign a few years ago to get extended library hours. It was successful 05-06. It was a really good issue to demonstrate the value of the union.

Gemma Campaigns Officer

I don't know how briefly you want the summary but this is basically what we did through the campaign;

UCLan Students' Union and Sunday Opening

At our Cumbria campus (Penrith) we have successfully managed to get our library to open on a Sunday between 11 and 5. During my time as a student I found the fact that the library didn't open on a Sunday very frustrating. I didn't have access to a computer with the internet at home and if it hadn't been for the use my supervisors office computer I feel that my academic work would have seriously suffered.

The library not opening on a Sunday was something that I heard a lot of students complain about and this was one of the first campaigns I started to work on when I came in as Cumbria campuses Officer. There were a number of meetings between the library manager, our Education Officer, and myself to find out the reasons why it couldn't be opened, the main reason being that there was not enough funding. The students then brought the issue up at our AGM which made Preston students, and staff aware of the problem, including the head of Student Affairs.

Our marketing department then put together a questionnaire that would extract key information from the Penrith students, such as finding out when they would like the library opening and the effects it has has by not being open. Then myself and other Student Council members spoke to students to make them aware of why we wanted them to fill in the questionnaires and to explain that when the results were collated we would do a presentation to the Senior management Team at the University. We also got students to write personal letters to the SMT to state the negative impacts of having limited opening hours and gave them official university complaints letters to fill in.

Once all this had been done myself and Peta carter, Education Officer gave a presentation at the SMT meeting, which I have attached for you to look at. I was also able to speak about my personal experience which was good to give a personal example. Following on from this the university miraculously found funding and the students were able to see that by being pro active they could make changes.

Kati Brown, Cumbria Campuses Officer, UCLAN Students' Union

KCLSU

KCLSU has secured an extension to the Library opening hours; resulting in access to library services on a 24 hour basis.

In 2006, based on representations that had been made to them in recent years, KCLSU Student Officers asked our students for their opinions on 24/7 access to College libraries. Subsequent lobbying of the College led to the introduction of a successful pilot at the start of the Summer Term.

A joint KCLSU and College review of the 2006 pilot was submitted to Academic Board with recommendations to extend the service for 2007. This was due to the fact that many students started exams early in the Summer Term and needed facilities to study in over the Easter break.

From September 2006 elected officers kept bringing this same point to every meeting they attended. It was with this in mind that the Principals Central Team (PCT) approved the extra funds to allow the 24/7 Library opening hours.