This is the second in a weekly series comparing Ohio University to the other five Mid-American Conference universities in Ohio.
When Nikki Nussbaum studies at Alden Library after midnight, she often experiences a warm and crowded second floor.
“There’s a lot of people who wait to study until later in college,” Nussbaum, a sophomore studying nursing, said.
Out of the six Mid-American Conference universities in Ohio, Ohio University is one of three colleges with 24-hour library access during the week.
The second floor of OU’s Alden Library is open 24 hours Monday through Thursday, and the libraries at Kent State University and Miami University also have some form of 24-hour access during the week.
The six MAC universities in Ohio include OU, Miami University, Bowling Green State University, the University of Toledo, KSU and the University of Akron.
Despite having only one floor available 24 hours during the week, OU is considering to the possibility of opening an additional 24-hour space.
“We do get a lot of requests from students to open more of Alden 24 hours,” Dean of University Libraries Scott Seaman said in an email. “We have been working with the campus administration to be able to also open the 4th floor 24 hours.”
Kendall Adams, a sophomore studying communication, said she studies at Alden Library a few times a week.
“Even during the day, I have trouble finding a table,” Adams said.
On Sunday, Adams said she checked three floors before finding a table.
“I can imagine when they close the rest of the floors that the second floor is really crowded,” Adams said.
Unlike OU, all four floors at Miami University’s King Library are open 24 hours Monday through Thursday.
KSU’s library has a client services computer lab on the first floor that is open 24 hours Monday through Thursday.
The earliest closing time of the six schools can be found at UA, where the library closes at midnight.
Adams said she was surprised to hear some university libraries don’t have a 24-hour space.
“A lot of people have jobs and don’t get off until late," she said. "And then if they have a roommate or something they can’t go home and study and have the light on.”
Though BGSU’s Jerome Library closes at 2 a.m. during the semester, the library extends their hours around finals week at the end of the semester.
“We only have (24-hour spaces five days a week) the week before finals and finals week,” Sara Bushong, BGSU’s dean of university libraries, said in an email. “This was something requested by the Undergraduate Student Government as it mirrored Eastern Michigan. They felt 24 hours all the time was not necessary, and they didn't want us to spend the money to hire coverage at times when students don’t need it.”
Contrary to OU having only one floor open for 24 hours, BGSU has three floors open for 24 hours around finals week.
Adams said a downside to having a 24-hour space in a library is having staff workers around the clock.
“It’s hard for (library workers) to stay 24 hours,” Adams said.
