For the next month, students at The University of Alabama will be able to study longer at Gorgas Library on Friday and Saturday nights.

As part of a pilot program, Gorgas Library will be open until 9 p.m. on the weekend evenings. These hours will run every weekend, excluding spring break weekends, until the library begins its regular end-of-semester hours April 19. Starting April 20, Gorgas Library will open at 3 p.m. and remain open until 7 p.m. on May 2.

Donna Adcock, director of public relations for University Libraries, said the idea resulted from students’ demand for later weekend hours, and the dean will ultimately decide on whether or not to adopt the extend hours permanently.

“We will evaluate [the success of the pilot program] at the end of the time period, and then the dean will make that call,” Adcock said.

Gabrielle Unbehaun, a sophomore majoring in biology, said after struggling with the old weekend hours, she is looking forward to the extension.

(See also “Plans to expand Gorgas Library underway“)

“I am really glad that someone finally realized that there was a need for longer weekend hours because lately the only time I have to do any homework is on the weekend, and the limited hours made it very inconvenient to make the trip on the weekend,” Unbehaun said.

Kara Alspaugh, a graduate student in the archeology master’s program, said she needed Gorgas Library to have more weekend hours to fit in her hectic schedule.

“Weekends are when I get most of my work done, when I go to the library to check out books, so I will definitely utilize this extension,” she said.

Unbehaun, who normally stays at the library three to four hours at a time, said longer weekend hours will give her more flexibility in choosing study time.

(See also “Library hours do not encourage academia“)

“I used to only go to Gorgas on Sundays for weekends because they had more regular hours,” Unbehaun said. “I will be going more on Saturdays now, though, because they are open late enough that I could actually get work done.”

Alspaugh said the library’s shortened weekend hours have clashed with her schedule.

“Twice in my almost two years here I have gone to the library when it seemed perfectly logical that it would be open, needing to check in and check out books, only to find it closed,” Alspaugh said. “I had to just leave my books in the overnight bin and come back later to check them out.”

Adcock said Java City is also experimenting with its weekend hours. She said Java City was open until 9 p.m. this past Friday and Saturday, and they will evaluate the response and make a decision about continuing to extend hours.

A complete listing of hours can be found on the library’s website, lib.ua.edu/hours.

(See also “Seven facts about Gorgas Library“)