There may be good reasons why the library opening hours should be extended and students may well wish this was the case. However, blanket statements about what time the library should close are not helpful.

Different students will have different needs and experiences of the library. For some students who work part-time until 6pm and then commute into the University, the library will offer the only available space in which to undertake some quiet study; for those living in student accommodation or sharing houses, this may well be the case irrespective of employment commitments. Whether or not such students ‘prefer’ to study at night, the availability of the library may be critical in offering them any opportunity to do so at all.

Extending library opening hours is not without costs however: in terms of staffing, heating, security, public transport provision etc. Maintaining an open library for minimal numbers may represent poor value for money, particularly if these resources could be better utilised during the day-time.

One approach might be for the University to introduce a trial of extended library opening for a fixed period of time (say, to leave one floor open for study until midnight on two weekday evenings for a six week period), with anonymous feedback sought particularly from students who work part-time, commute and/or are disabled. Footfall could be counted during the extended opening hours to determine demand. This would offer a better guide to the views of such students than blanket statements about ‘student’ opinion and would provide useful information about the extent to which such a service would be utilised. Obviously, it would not be possible to demonstrate from such a trial that leaving the library open late leads to improved student performance, but it would give some indication as to whether students who currently do not have ready access to appropriate study space would make use of such a service if it was made available to them.

If such a trial indicated sustained demand for extended opening hours at an acceptable cost per staffed library hour (bearing in mind the experience of library staff), then it might be sensible to consider leaving the library open late during assessment periods. If demand was patchy, then providing a smaller area open in the evening may offer an appropriate compromise.

Any such review of opening hours could usefully consider whether it might be more cost-effective to introduce some bookable study rooms open in the evening, expand provision of e-resources or even extend library opening by commencing earlier in the day.