At the moment, the Longwood University library lacks the funding and personnel to extend their hours of operation. According to the Dean of Greenwood Library, Suzy Palmer, the library is already understaffed by 25%. “We have a total of 24 members when we are fully staffed, but even then, that is a lot of hours,” she said.
The library fulfilled the first step in opening later by installing card access at the front doors this past summer, which Palmer said tallied up $8,452 worth of expenses. However, Palmer told the Rotunda there are still two big gaps to be filled; installing more security cameras, and hiring staff to work added late night shifts. “The budget is just limited,” she said. “Right now I’m just trying to make sure we can cover all the resources that we need.”
Research done by Palmer shows the needed camera additions would total over $63,000, while funding part time positions to work the hours will cost just under $40,000 per year. “When I hear or read things that label ‘we don’t have enough money’ as an excuse, I’m here to say it is not an excuse, it’s just the truth,” said Palmer. She added that when the library is open longer hours now, they hire campus police to work the extra time, but that isn’t something the police want to do year around, and it costs an extra $30 per officer, per hour. “We don’t have an extra $40,000 for late night staff, an extra $63,000 for security cameras or an extra $30 per hour everyday. I did pay for the card access out of our library budget because I wanted to make progress towards the goal of being open longer hours, even if it was incremental.”
Palmer made it known that security is one of the main concerns of extending hours. “Safety is a huge part of the process,” she said. “Being in Va., the Virginia Tech shooting is something that no one can, or should forget, which directly affects the precautions we go through.” Palmer said most schools that have extended hours go about it on a 24/5 basis, which means they are open 24 hours, Sunday through Thursday. During the fall semester of 2013, she submitted a proposal to the University, asking to extend hours to a 24/5 model, but it was denied due to lack of funds. “It’s not the University’s fault, I think it’s on everybody’s radar,” she said. “When they make those decisions, it has to be weighed against other areas on campus. We have faculty with very heavy teaching loads, so we need more faculty on campus. It is my responsibility to fight for this library, but even I know that increased faculty outweighs staffing the library so we can be open later.”
Almost all of Longwood’s in-state competitors are open until 2 a.m., or at least have 24/5 services. According to Palmers research, Mary Washington and William and Mary are open until 2 a.m., while Virginia Tech and VCU are both open 24/5. Libraries at Christopher Newport, Old Dominion and Clemons library at the University of Virginia are all open 24/7. “There is an element of public relations involved,” Palmer said, “especially with students touring the university. When you go to five schools, and four of them have 24/5 services, you start to just expect it. It may sound trivial, but marketing the University is important, even with libraries. There is a part of this that becomes that particular issue.”
When asked whether she thinks students believe extending hours is easier than it actually is, Palmer said they most likely don’t realize all that goes into the process. “I wouldn’t criticize students for thinking it is easier than it is. Staffing is a much more complex process than people think. It is easy to say ‘Why is it so difficult to be open a couple more hours,’ but there is so much more involved.”
But according to Palmer, even when the library is open late now, not many students use the library. “Our data shows that even when we do stay open until 2 a.m., the number of students that use the facility is not that high. It’s not even 10% of the campus. That doesn’t mean it’s unimportant, but you have to think how to weigh the cost overall.” Palmer did say that there have been talks to open a 24-hour study facility at other places on campus, but that students have told her the library is their first choice. “That warms my heart,” she said, “but it is an expensive building to keep open.”
