The Moffett Library is a home-away-from-home for students, particularly during final exams. However, due to budget restrictions, it closed at 2 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. That is, until Greek life volunteers stepped in.
Together with a number of faculty and staff members who agreed to work in the library overnight, fraternity and sorority members kept the library open 24 hours during final exams this past spring.
“It’s actually a pretty incredible thing,” freshman Johnathan Hardmin said in an interview for Campus Watch by Landry Russell, “especially for students that are cramming for finals and playing catch up.”
Inter-Fraternity Council President Taylor Duval said the Greeks want to help offer extended hours next semester as well.
“This showed everyone that if it’s open 24 hours that people will use it and benefit greatly from it as well,” Duval said.
The Moffett Library has more than 470,000 books, among which is the first edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species and a copy of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales valued at $50,000.
“Our traffic goes up significantly the whole month of April. But the week before finals people have to search for a parking place, which is not true any other time of the year.” said University Librarian Clara Latham.
Most of the library’s budget comes from student library fees, which is included in tuition. Each student pays $8 per semester credit hour.
The library purchases about 2,500 books a year. It has nearly 1,000 ancient cuneiform writings, ancient maps and illuminated manuscripts. The library also has about 3,000 feature films, 1,000 documentaries and instructional DVDs, several hundred audio cassettes and 5,000 LPs.
MSU is planning a $30-million remodeling of the library which will make the building consistent with the American with Disability Act. Some of the features are a new elevator, new bathroom hallways and wider aisles.
“It’s a lot of money, but it’s a lot of money well spent,” said Robert Hennessey, a chemistry and history junior. “I think our library is critical to the needs of students. If it was a little bit more accessible-friendly for disabled kids, I’d definitely be in support of that.”
“They have to redesign how the building is held together,” Latham said. “The hallways are too narrow for a wheelchair.”
The redesign will also include extra group study rooms and movable furniture.
“The group study rooms are constantly in use,” Latham said. “That’s why we limit them to four hours, so other people can have a shot after the first group leaves.”
“Group study is the preferred way students study now,” Latham said.
“I’d rather they keep the library open later on Friday night,” said Hennessey. “I go to the library probably once or twice a week. I’m a history major, so all my books are there.”
During finals week, the library is open 24 hours.
“Keeping it open 24 hours is extremely beneficial for students,” Hennessey said.
The 24-hour rule makes no difference,” said Jason Brezina, Circulation Department manager. “Every morning when I walk in, it’s dead.”
The library got its name from Texas senator George Moffett, who sponsored legislation that made MSU a four-year state-supported school.