Who Knew?

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Who Knew? is intended to inform and entertain by publishing answers to questions of campus interest posed by faculty and staff. E-mail questions to wisweek@news.wisc.edu or send to Wisconsin Week, 19 Bascom Hall.

What ever happened to the proposal to keep a library open 24 hours a day?
For some people, their best work gets done at night: sometime after work or classes, after dinner, even after that block of Cosby Show reruns at 2 a.m. Such was probably the case for students — some represented by the Associated Students of Madison and some asking independently — who approached library administrators last summer to explore keeping some library space open 24 hours a day. Administrators looked at options and decided to keep open the first floor west corridor of Memorial Library as a pilot program.

It’s a quiet space for those wanting to read or write. Those who wish to conduct online research can use one of the 102 computers in the first floor lab managed by the Division of Information Technology. Desktop machines are provided; anyone with a laptop wireless network card can use the available wireless access, or laptop users can plug into hardwire stations.

Ed Van Gemert, associate director for public services for the General Library System, points out “it’s not the Motel 6,” and anyone who’s looking to crash there for a while will be asked to leave. Only UW–Madison faculty, staff and students with a valid ID card are allowed into the space after hours; a student worker uses the same database to scan ID cards that DoIT uses for its labs. At least three other staff are working the entire time, including a private security guard contracted by the library.

DoIT has moved its help desk staff to provide service from the late space at Memorial Library from midnight to 8 a.m., making it easy to run the lab there at the same time.

Van Gemert says the program has experienced no major problems so far, despite the close proximity to State Street. The program will be assessed for cost-effectiveness at the end of both the semester and academic year. Opening just the one wing of the library allows for a clear separation from the library proper — an undertaking that would be much more expensive to keep open all night. Administrators are also keeping an open mind about expanding the services of College Library, which students originally requested.

To check hours for the library and the 24-hour space, visit http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/Memorial/.