One of the most common complaints among ULM students is the campus library’s limited hours during the weekend, but students might find relief in a recent change.
After a campaign by ULM’s Student Government Association, the library announced on Thursday that it has extended its hours of operation on Fridays until 5 p.m. The library is also exploring the possibility to be open on Saturdays in the spring 2024 semester, according to library director Charles Hughes.
The five-and-a-half-hour extension to Friday’s operation gives students an extra study window that’s been unavailable for years.
The library cut back on weekend hours in the wake of the pandemic, starting with the 2020 fall semester. The library closed at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and did not open until Sunday at noon.
Until last week’s changes, the library’s doors have been shut before noon on Fridays over the past six semesters.
SGA President David Hernandez said that he’s heard students express the need for extended library hours and wanted to make this a reality.
“We understand how small things can affect our academics in big ways,” Hernandez said.
Since the start of the semester, Hernandez has discussed with university officials how the library can have more accessible hours for students, which ultimately led to Thursday’s announcement.
While the library has evening and night hours on weekdays, some students said they need weekend hours to fit around jobs and extracurriculars. Garrett Austin, a fourth-semester nursing student, said that it’s past due for the return of weekend operations.
“It made sense that the pandemic made it have limited hours,” Austin said. “Now, we’re out of that.”
And for students like him who are reaching some of the most demanding courses in their field, he said they need extra hours “now more than ever.”
But students will have to wait longer before the library sees seven-day-a-week operations.
SGA and university officials have had discussions about Saturday hours, but it won’t be possible until next semester.
“Due to limits on working hours for library employees, we will have to wait until the spring of 2024 to begin having Saturday hours,” Hughes said.
To see a complete list of the library’s current hours of operation, visit ulm.edu/library.
