The Associated Students of Madison Academic Affairs Committee is currently surveying students to gauge student interest in an additional 24-hour campus library. According to Claire Lempke, ASM media specialist, several UW-Madison students contacted the committee with complaints that College Library is overcrowded.
College Library, located on the southeast side of campus, is currently the only 24-hour library on campus. Academic Affairs Committee Chair Chris Tiernan said a 24-hour library on the west side of campus could make it safer for students walking home from late-night studying.
""A lot of students from the Lakeshore area and the west side of campus walk from College Library to their respective homes,"" Tiernan said.
The committee is looking at making Steenbock Library, 550 Babcock Dr., a 24-hour library. Tiernan said Steenbock is an appropriate choice because faculty there expressed a desire to attract more students to their library.
Johnny Tackett, the ASM representative from the medical school, said he noticed congestion in the Health Sciences Ebling Library on the far west side of campus. He noticed many students studying in Ebling who are not health science students.
""It's not that other students are there and they don't belong there. It's just frustrating when you can't find study space in the library where you're doing most of your work to begin with,"" Tackett said. ""I think extending the hours will make Steenbock more intriguing to students.""
Because of monetary restraints, Tiernan said the library might only be open 24-hours during exam periods.
""I'm imagining that it's probably going to be really tough to staff another 24-hour library full-time,"" he said.
Tiernan said the committee will speak with faculty from the library system about the idea after gathering student input.
Students on the Academic Affairs Committee went to Lakeshore residence halls and dining facilities March 6 to ask students about their library use. Tiernan estimated 60 students responded to the survey, but the surveys have not been tallied yet.
""I think, just paging through the surveys, a majority of students were saying they would utilize Steenbock,"" Tiernan said.
Tiernan said the committee hopes to finish gathering student input by the first week in April.
