UNC Undergraduate Library to pilot 24-hour access during final exam weeks

The Undergraduate Library will operate on a 24-hour schedule from April 30 to May 8, marking the first extended-hours pilot since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative aims to provide additional study space during finals while addressing long-standing student requests for overnight access. 

2025-26 Student Body President AdolfoAlvarez, who was not directly involved in the program but did campaign for it, said that the 24-hour pilot was a core pillar of his administration’s academic support platform.

“We were one of the only few institutions, the top 20 to top 30 in the country, that didn’t have access to this,” Alvarez said. 

Alvarez said that during his campaign, students consistently identified longer library hours as a pressing need, which he said contributed to awareness of the issue. He also said that the pilot’s timing is particularly relevant as UNC prepares for an increase in enrollment over the next ten years, meriting a need for more student resources.

“I think that it's a reflection of the fact that the administration can be receptive of students' feedback, but only when awareness is collective," he said. "And it's not just me walking into rooms and telling the University to change things, but showing that the student body has an overall desire for those things to change.” 

The library will staff overnight hours with both professional and student workers while requiring One Card access after 10 p.m. for security purposes. The UL will track occupancy data to evaluate the pilot’s success and decide if similar operations during exam weeks are not only demanded, but useful to students.

Suchi Mohanty, head of the UL and interim director of access services, explained that the library was selected for longer hours due to the UL’s central location near residence halls, undergraduate-focused environment and manageable and contained space for overnight operations.

Mohanty said the University Libraries decided to pilot the program as a respond to student needs during a stressful and busy period of the semester. The Libraries, she said, received feedback from a variety of avenues, including a Student Library Advisory Board.

“The main goal is to provide students a safe and welcoming place to study during exams. What I hope they take away from it is that the library and library staff care about their success, and that we really do pay attention to the feedback students have to offer for us,” Mohanty said.

First-year biomedical engineering student Zeb Malick explained the practical benefits of extended library hours. Malick said he usually goes to the UL until it closes for the night, when he relocates to Davis Library.

“I think that places like UL staying open for 24/7, facilitates group work and group study that, you know, you often see helps people succeed in these classes,” he said. 

Depending on students' use of overnight hours and survey feedback on safety and accessibility, Mohanty said library leadership will consider how similar programs may look in future exam periods. During the pilot, she said the libraries will be collecting occupancy data and providing an online survey for students to share their feedback.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article states that the switch to a 24-hour library during final exams was developed in partnership with UNC Libraries and student government leaders. University Libraries organized the initiative, which they have been working on for some time. It was not developed alongside or at the direction of any student organization.

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