Union petitions for 24-hour service at Mugar

In its meeting on Monday, the Boston University Student Union presented a proposal to increase the operating hours of Mugar Memorial Library to keep the studying hot spot open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A task force put together by the Union is working with the BU administration to achieve this goal.

However, this wouldn’t be first time a facility on campus would be open to students for 24 hours.  Before it closed in September of 2009, a computer station located on Cummington Avenue provided students with 24-hour access to computers and a printing lab, as well as a quiet place to study.

Although the printing lab and computer stations were relocated to Mugar, the library only remains open until 2:00 a.m.

“We think this is a complete injustice,” said Union President Arthur Emma, a College of Arts and Sciences senior. “A school whose goal is to produce a high-quality educational experience, denying students access to these labs is degrading the university’s product.”

BU has cited inhibitive expenses when the Union inquired about the move and the subsequent lack of 24-hour access, Union officials said during the meeting.

“There has been a huge outcry for 24-hour study facilities among the student population,” said CAS freshman and task force executive Sophie Miller.

Based on Union executive board research, Miller said that most major universities in the United States have 24-hour libraries.

“It’s a very basic need on a college campus,” Miller said. “It’s a space in the center of campus where you can go do homework or study as needed.”

In the next few weeks, the task force hopes to arrange a meeting with Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore and other members of the administration to present its official proposal for 24-hour library services.

CAS freshman and task force member Jen Depiero said the task force is looking at alternatives if they cannot keep at least one floor of the library open daily for 24-hours. Some of these alternatives include the renovation of places such as 575 Commonwealth Ave. and 1019 Comm. Ave. to make them more accommodating to students.

“Those places are in terrible shape right now, and because of that no one wants to stay there and study,” Depiero said. “If we do get better materials for studying, hopefully that would be more appealing to administrators because they wouldn’t have to have a staff securing all the resources that are in Mugar.”

Miller said that the university should see real change on this issue by the end of this year, and that  Elmore would be working with the Union on adjusting the budget to ensure that their proposal will pass as soon as possible.

“There are challenges that we’ve faced already and that we’ve already overcome and moved forward, so it’s all just progress upon progress from here,” Miller said.