Library West began the new semester with new hours, and students have been adjusting accordingly.
This semester, Library West is open 24 hours a day Sunday through Thursday as part of a pilot project funded by Student Government.
"It's something everybody has asked for multiple times, so we'll see how it goes," said Patrick Reakes, chair of Library West.
Even though it's only the first week of school, Reakes said the number of people using the library's late hours has been growing every day.
Ruhiyyih Bannister, a dietetics sophomore, was in the library past 1 a.m. during the first week of school.
"I feel more focused when I come to the library," Bannister said. "If it gets to be 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. and I still need to get work done - if I'm at home I'm definitely going to go to sleep."
When it becomes available, data on the number of people using the library during its new hours will be analyzed to decide if it will continue to stay open late.
Reakes said it will probably always be fairly slow after 2 a.m., except during finals.
Michele Lesure, the overnight supervisor at Library West, works from midnight to 9 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
She said she enjoys working overnight.
"You see the same people," she said. "There are lots of regulars, and I have a feeling that I'm going to get to know a lot more people."
The Starbucks on the ground floor maintains the same hours as the library.
Starbucks employee Laura Talafer, 21, a psychology senior, works until 2 a.m. two to three nights a week.
She isn't paid more per hour during the new hours.
Overnight supervisors are paid more, although Reakes and Lesure declined to say how much.
Overall, the library's new hours are a positive change, Talafer said.
Without the later hours, her busy schedule wouldn't allow her to work.
"It's bittersweet because yes, I'm tired, but even more yes, I need the hours," she said.
