Late-night studying just got easier

The library hours are back due to student demand.

With the effort of the library staff and student government (OUSG), the hours on Sunday through Thursday have been restored to closing at midnight. 

When the staff leaves at 10 p.m., those who want to get into the library will have to swipe in with their Cardinal card. There are also additional safety measures put in place: OPD will be doing occasional walk-throughs for those two hours, and there will be a log recording who swipes in with their Cardinal card. 

The hope for next semester is to hire a graduate assistant who can stay until midnight, like in the previous years. However, if one isn’t found, then Cardinal card access will be the only way to get into the library after 10 p.m. 

Tiffany Lipstreu, the library director, found it very bittersweet when she heard about complaints regarding the library hours. “We’ve been really grateful that the services and the resources that the library provides are being seen as important to their success,” said Lipstreu. 

This was just one of the resolutions that OUSG passed recently. The other resolution provides swipe access for the academic buildings across campus for every student. 

Buildings like Roush, the Point, and the Science Center are now accessible at any time. 

The president of Otterbein’s student government, Rowan Ratvasky, believed the hours of the academic buildings should be clearer for students. “There’s kind of a lot of uncertainty around when buildings are actually open … When we were talking to university administration, a lot of them didn’t know either.”  

With the new resolution, there will now be no miscommunication on when buildings are open. Students who need a place to study for the evening will be able to use any space they need. 

Both resolutions were passed on Sept. 25 and implemented by Oct. 6. In a short time, these new policies came into effect because of the combined efforts of students and staff around campus. 

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