Some of my favorite memories on campus have involved a late-night visit to the LSU Library. Before the pandemic, when the library still operated 24 hours a day for five days a week, my friends and I would meet at the CC’s Coffee line, grab Mochasippis for the much-needed caffeine and then retreat to the higher floors to quiz each other in preparation for an upcoming test. Other times, when I had a free evening, I would claim a desk by the Quad-facing windows and explore the stacks for titles that interested me.
Students reading this may share similar experiences, or they may use the library for entirely different purposes. The building’s versatility is one of its greatest strengths, as it can be a source of knowledge, a refuge of peace and a quiet place for gathering.
Unfortunately, this cherished availability was yet another casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising cases across Louisiana left the administration scrambling to protect its students, and school officials implemented many restrictions that students recall all too well. The mask mandate, online classes and social distancing are only the best known of these—another was the severe limit placed on library operation hours.
Almost two years have passed since 24/5 library operations. Visitors were only allowed to stay until 8 p.m. during the 2020-2021 academic year, and now can stay only until midnight. These restricted hours have stripped many students of their greatest academic asset. Night owls and students working afternoon jobs have lost access to the library during their most productive hours.
“I think it would be very beneficial [to return to 24/5 operations] because some people’s best time to study is late at night, or they like to go when it’s kinda empty or quiet,” general business freshman Cameron Wickersham said.
“Not a lot of places are open 24 hours where they could study,” she added.
The loss of late nights at the library is a minor tragedy, but it doesn’t have to be a permanent one. Zoom-based academia is slowly becoming a sour memory, and Tigers are now free to wander the LSU Library without a mask. Campus events and clubs are returning to the physical world. In short, campus is starting to recover. So, why not include the hours of operation in that recovery?
Biology sophomore Daison Faciane, who works in the afternoons, is one of many students that would benefit from a return to pre-pandemic library operations.
“I hate going in there at nine or 10 o’clock, when I’ve just been at work,” Faciane said. “And now that I finally have time to study, I only have an hour or two hours in a quiet environment.”
Faciane is not alone in feeling this way. The convenience of 24/5 operations would benefit many students by providing flexibility for different work schedules and study styles.
“It’s like a 24-hour Whataburger,” mass communication sophomore Ella Moll said. ”Just the fact that you can go whenever you want is what makes it so convenient.”
Not only would this return to normal provide convenience to students, but it could also help reduce library traffic. Closing at night has helped the custodial staff clean and disinfect the library, but allowing students in during the night could alleviate the crowds of people squeezing inside during the day.
With the university’s most severe pandemic restrictions lifting, now is the perfect time for the LSU Library to reopen through the night. The 24/5 operations provide valuable flexibity to students—and the chance to make those special, late-night library memories.
Noah McKinney is a 20-year-old English and history junior from Houston, TX.
