February 22, 2017
K-State faculty and staff asked to promote survey for students regarding K-State Libraries hours
Submitted by Sarah McGreer Hoyt
Beginning today, K-State students are invited to participate in a survey asking whether they would support a small fee to restore Hale Library's schedule to "24/5." It also will explore student preferences for study spaces on campus. Participation is anonymous and voluntary.
"We would be grateful to any faculty willing to encourage their students to take the survey," Dean Lori Goetsch said.
The survey can be accessed online.
The fee under consideration would be approximately $3 per semester.
From 2006-2016, Hale Library was available "24/5": When school was in session during the fall and spring semesters, the building opened Sunday at 1 p.m. and remained open through 8 p.m. on Friday. Saturday hours were 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In fall 2016, another round of budget callbacks forced K-State Libraries to make the difficult decision to reduce building hours. Hale Library went from being open for 132 hours each week to 94.5 hours per week, a reduction of 37.5 hours each week, or more than 25 percent. The new schedule is available online.
The reduction in building hours saves $120,000 annually, largely through savings in security and custodial costs. These cuts followed K-State Libraries' other cost-saving efforts including cuts to collections and hiring freezes.