Expanding study hours present security challenges. 
Whether it is within the Student Union, Middleton Library or in Patrick F. Taylor Hall, students may soon see a 24-hour study area on campus, according to Student Government President Clay Tufts.
However, having space open to students all hours of the day is more complicated because of security issues, said LSUPD spokesman Capt. Cory Lalonde.
When Middleton Library first opened for 24 hours during finals week last fall, Lalonde said LSUPD kept the building secure using various methods, and if a 24-hour study space opened permanently, they would have to develop a plan for monitoring it.
Lalonde said during finals week, LSUPD officers on night shifts make frequent patrols around the exterior and interior of the library. More officers are also on duty around Middleton during that time.
LSU President F. King Alexander said when Middleton was first open through the night, the number of students going into the library during extended hours showed the University needs to have the space open 24 hours a day prior to finals.
“If they really want to be in there at 3 or 4 a.m. and study, then we need to make the environment ready for them,” Alexander said.
Last semester, then-Interim Dean of LSU Libraries Elaine Smyth said there were plans underway for major renovations to Middleton.
The plans include expanding study areas and making commonly used books more accessible to students. They also include updating the look of the Library to better match surrounding buildings and creating a 24-hour place for students to study.
The goal of the plans was to better utilize the space available within the building, which was built in 1958. The last major renovations were the addition of two stories in 1984.
Architects were hired to look at how to better use the library and make plans for the possible renovations to complete the University’s reaffirmation of accreditation requirements set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Smyth said.
Should everything go according to plan, the University is set to receive a full reaffirmation of its accreditation at the end of the semester, said Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Gil Reeve.
Smyth said the library plans need approval from Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell before they can begin.
If they are approved and the funding is obtained, it would take a long time to finish the renovations because Middleton would need to continue to serve students throughout the construction process.
Tufts said even if the 24-hour study space is not in the Middleton Library, he is talking with University officials to get the project going.