By Jacob Brown, Editor-in-chief
After three weeks of reduced hours, the Dugan Library has returned to its regular operating schedule, giving students full access to the space that some rely on for studying and completing schoolwork.
During the beginning of the semester, library hours were reduced to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week and it was closed on weekends. Its regular hours, 8 a.m. to midnight weekdays, 8 to 5 p.m. Fridays; noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. to midnight Sundays, were restored on Monday.
The shortened hours at the beginning of the semester were the result of hiring challenges and a delay in onboarding student workers, said Wesley Cornett, Newman’s library director.
Hiring was a challenge, he said, because fewer student workers returned this semester, he said.
Cornett has been trying to get people on board as quickly as possible, he said, but it has taken longer than he hoped.
Although the library has returned to its regular schedule, the hiring process is not completely finished, Cornett said.
“We’re still in the process of doing onboarding for our last couple of new hires,” Cornett said. “We’re not maybe at 100%, but we’ve got enough people on board that we’re able to get back to those hours, at least.”
The shortened schedule affected students who use the library as a place to study, with student-athletes facing an additional challenge because of study hall requirements.
A new policy says that freshmen athletes have to complete six study hours weekly.
Other students who depended on the library for a study space were also affected by the temporary schedule.
“We certainly had some people asking us when those hours would resume,” Cornett said. “So, we definitely heard that there was a need there.”
With the library now operating with its regular hours, the goal is to ensure students have consistent access to the space moving forward, Cornett said.
“We apologize for the inconvenience that’s come along with all of that, and hopefully, we can make sure that people have access to the space that they need going forward,” he said.
PHOTO: KJ Burns, Managing editor
