Davis Library will extend hours to 2 a.m.

With exams looming in the not-so-distant future, late-night bookworms can soon rejoice about two extra hours at Davis Library.

Beginning Monday, the library will return to its previous closing time of 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, an extension from its current closing time of midnight.

The longer hours are the result of a $35,000 donation from the Rams Club.

Judy Panitch, director of library communications, said Davis Library was forced to close its doors at midnight this semester due to budget cuts.

She said she heard complaints from students about the change.
About 200 students used Davis Library between midnight and 2 a.m. on an average weeknight last year, she said.

“We know this is a real need,” Panitch said.

“The students depend on having those library hours available.”

John Montgomery, executive director of the Rams Club, said this is the second time his organization has made a donation to the UNC Libraries.

He said the Rams Club, which provides financial support to UNC athletics, gave money in 1990 when the University was experiencing budget cuts and the libraries were strained.

“The library is important to all of us,” Montgomery said.
“It’s such an integral part of student life.”

Panitch said the libraries reached out to the Rams Club to ask for the donation.

“We felt like we were in a position to do it,” Montgomery said.
He said the Rams Club has a section of its budget dedicated exclusively to helping the campus community.

The group’s most recent gifts funded two parking lot constructions, he said.

Panitch said the donation — which will cover the pay for one staff member and one security guard each night — will last for the rest of 2011 and 2012.

She said students have such varying schedules that the extra hours can make a big difference in someone’s ability to utilize the library’s resources.

“(Davis Library) is very important to the academic life of the campus,” she said.

Senior Sarah Peck, an English and journalism major, said she is thrilled about the upcoming hours extension.

Peck said she frequently stays on campus late at night and has often felt pressured by Davis Library’s early closing time.

“The (Undergraduate Library) can get so crowded,” Peck said.
“Davis is spacious and I know I can always find a seat.”

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