Library makes changes

Students used to studying in the library may need to shift their routines this semester, as both the East and West campus facilities now have shorter hours.

The White Library and Barth Learning Resource Center will each be open seven fewer hours each week, with only one open at a time on the weekends.

The change was made after a yearlong survey concluded that less than 50 students would be affected.

“If it had been a large amount [of students] we would have stayed open,” said Sally Bickley, librarian head of the reference services.

Bickley has been with Del Mar College 10 years and said the library is trying to accommodate students with more Internet resources and 24/7 chat services.

Jennifer Jimenez, reference/electronic resource librarian, said that in the upcoming week they will see just how many students are affected by the change in hours.

Jimenez said she hopes Del Mar can increase staff in the future so the hours can go back to the way they were.

Erika Mendoza, a 21-year-old nursing student, just found out about the change of the library hours and said she knows many students in the nursing program who will be affected.

Medical sonography major Jennifer Parkins was unaware of the new library hours and said she did stay until 10 p.m. last semester. Parkins, 34, juggles work, school, kids and fitness; she uses all the time she has available for studying.

The seven-hour change will not keep Parkins from hitting the books this semester. Parkins, like other students, wants to know why the library didn’t do more to notify students of the building hours this semester.

“The hours are posted on the library website and around the library,” said Cody Gregg, dean of library services.

Signs in the building are directing students to the library website for more information and resources. The 24/7 chat services launched at the end of July allows student to gain resource information through a live librarian with the new AskAcademics consortial partner higher education institutions.

Last year Gregg said they moved some popular magazines to digital copies on the library website; the Flipster is available to all students and staff on and off campus. Gregg’s goal is to promote literacy learning with the popular reading on the third floor and has many ideas that can benefit students in the near future.

 

LIBRARY HOURS

WILLIAM F. WHITE, JR. LIBRARY (EAST)

Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday: 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: CLOSED

BARTH LRC (WEST)

Monday-Thursday: 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Friday: 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Saturday: CLOSED

Sunday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

 

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