Starting the week before finals, the Golda Meir Librarys East Wing will be open extended hours, but students are concerned that the West Wing closes too early, especially on study day.

This isnt where the books are. This isnt where the computer labs are, Taiko Maria said about the East Wing. Its not making the resources available.

From May 7-17, the librarys East Wing, where the reserves are located, will be open until 1 a.m., two hours longer than they are normally open. However the West Wing will only be open its normal hours, 11 p.m. on weekdays, 7 p.m. on Friday (the university designated study day), and 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Becky Clinnin, a UWM library employee, said the room is usually quite full on study day, but they find somewhere to sit.

Sarah Kober, another UWM library employee, also said its harder to clear everyone out of the larger West Wing late at night. On the East Wing there is only one story so its easy to keep people in the same area, Kober said.

According to a library head count during the study day last semester, there were as many as 131 students in East Wing at 8 p.m., an hour after the East Wing closed.

While Clinnin said there is additional furniture in the East Wing this semester, a lot of students want to study in a quiet place during finals.

When I want to study quietly, I go to the West (Wing), said junior, Maximus Jeong, who studies almost every day in the library between classes.

Ideally Jeong said he would like to see the entire library open until midnight every night.

However the university doesnt have the funding for it.

According to Ewa Barczyk, Golda Meir director, library funding was cut $203,928 for the 05-07 budget. The cut eliminated two personnel positions and prevented some equipment and book purchases.

Barczyk said she recently met with librarians from other University of Wisconsin Systems and discussed budget issues. She said at UW-River Falls, students recently voted to increase segregated fees to fund extended library hours.

Besides funding, Barczyk said the library is not utilized enough to justify extended hours.

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