By Nami Nagaoka
It’s nothing new for college students to work part-time jobs to help pay for tuition and instructional fees. Many of these jobs require students to work during normal business hours. With many of Youngstown State University’s facilities operating during these normal business hours, there is a growing demand among students for places on campus accommodating late night studying.
Robert Hayes, a senior majoring in business administration, said he had difficulties with some of his group projects last semester. He said it was a struggle to coordinate times and places to meet, and to prepare for presentations.
“I wish Maag Library was open for 24 hours,” Hayes said.
Hayes and four of his teammates had to go to Denny’s on Belmont Ave. to complete some projects since they had incompatible time schedules. Although the location is open for 24 hours, he said it is loud and without strong Wi-Fi, making it an unideal space for schoolwork.
Sara O’Kane, a civil engineering major, said she uses the Maag Library almost every day. She sometimes has to stay in the engineering department to use required computer programs that are unavailable in the library.
“We are always afraid of studying in a building where we are going to get kicked out,” O’Kane said.
Last fall, her schedule was cluttered with work and classes from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. She said she was able to find two hours after work to study at the library until it closed. With this schedule, she found the hours of business for Maag appealing and fitting to her schedule.
“I think it’s a good idea, but I don’t know how feasible it is for the university right now,” O’Kane said.
According to the survey of over 100 YSU students, about 45 percent of respondents want a 24-hour library. About 33 percent said they would be fine with hours extended to midnight. About 13 percent said they want Maag Library open until 2 a.m. and less than 10 percent did not want the times to change.
Although this is a demand for some students, there are others who are dozing off in the computer lab and quiet floors.
Christopher Drake, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Wayne State University in Detroit, observed that 70.6 percent of students reported less than their prescribed eight hours of sleep per night and would describe themselves as sleep deprived.
Additionally, a 24-hour library would need some workers during the night shift. Ana Torres, Interim Director of Maag Library, said it would be difficult to coordinate employees to accommodate the schedule.
“We do not have a budget for personnel,” Torres said. “We do care and we do understand, but we can’t do it right now.”
Maag Library has extended hours during finals week from Saturday through Wednesday. The library will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday from 12 p.m. to midnight and Monday through Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to midnight.