24-hour access for library at Social Sciences

Preparing to cram your end of semester exams? Anticipating the all-nighters you’ll need to pull to meet exam deadlines in the New Year? The Faculty Library of Social Sciences (SAMF) has you covered.

The SAMF library is currently doing an ‘experimental’ period of 24/7 access for all staff and students of the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), aimed at meeting students’ study needs by providing greater and more flexible accessibility.

“Studying is different from a normal day job. Students don’t close the books at 4pm and go home if there is a deadline coming up. When I was a student myself, I often worked at night during exam periods to get my papers done in time and I could really have used a 24/7 library to help me get through,” says Christian Lauersen, Director at the Faculty Library of Social Sciences, to the University Post.

Time for change

The need for more flexible and longer opening hours has been a significant thread in recent user surveys, says Lauersen. The extension of the opening hours is a reaction to that need, and a test to see whether, if made available, a 24-hour library service would be used.

Being a central city location, the SAMF library was chosen as the perfect place to test out the use of 24-hour access. Moreover, the extended hours come at an opportune time for students, with libraries around the city reaching maximum capacity during exam periods.

“This is an experiment. When the test period is done we will look at the numbers of visitors and evaluate the 24/7 library. If it turns out as a success I’ll guess we will do it again,” says Lauersen.

Library the best ‘study buddy’

To ensure safety the library will be staffed around the clock, so there will, of course, be some extra cost, says Lauersen.

However, if the experiment is a success, and students make use of the around the clock access in the lead up to their exams, it will be well worth it.

As Lauersen adds, “remember, Google can bring you back 100,000 answers but a librarian can bring you back the right one. The library is truly your best study buddy.”

Check out the ‘fact box’ to the right for more info on the Faculty Library of Social Sciences. Happy studying!

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

Like us on Facebook for features, guides and tips on upcoming events. Follow us on Twitter for links to other Copenhagen academia news stories. Sign up for the University Post weekly newsletter here, and then follow the University Post on Instagram here.