3/25/09
The summer hours for the Skyline Library are going to be getting shorter starting after this spring semester, but are staying the same during the spring and fall semesters.For the first couple of weeks, when there are no evening classes, the library will be open to the students from 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m. But, once the evening classes begin, the library will expand its hours to 9:00a.m. to 9:00p.m. The library will be closed entirely on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. “We are trying to tailor the library’s hours to those of the summer courses” says Donna Bestock, the Dean of Social Sciences and Creative Arts here at Skyline. Bestock says that the economy is taking its toll, and the school is looking for ways of saving money but at the same time to still provide the same services as before.Evy Posamentier, one of the librarians at Skyline, considers student circulation to possibly be a factor in the shorter hours. Circulation is basically how many students visit the library on a particular day. The official name is gate count, and it is determined by an electronic counter that triggers whenever someone enters the library. According to Bestock and the student circulation numbers, provided by Sandy Kirkpatrick, who is Circulation Supervisor, that is not the case. The average gate count for Saturdays in the Fall of 2008 semester was 43 people, and in the first two months of the Spring 2009 semester, the counts were 55 and 75, respectively. And, currently, the average number of people who visit the library per week is 5,000, which Kirkpatrick considers really good. She also mentioned that the numbers get even higher during finals, rising to about 5,500. One interesting thing to note is that the learning center has already closed on Saturdays during the school year. Posamentier can see a trend being established that she finds scary. But, it appears as though Posamentier’s and many other’s fears of lower circulation on Saturdays affecting the opportunities for students to learn and access resources. The library staff is dedicated to the students at Skyline, and they are doing everything they can with what they have got. For any of you who want a listing of the times the library will be open, here they are.
School year hours: Monday through Thursday: 8:00a.m.-10:00p.m.Friday: 8:00a.m.-4:00p.m.Saturday: 10:00a.m.-2:00p.m.Sunday:CLOSED
Summer hours:Monday through Thursday: 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m. (first couple of weeks)Monday through Thursday: 9:00a.m.-4:00p.m. (once the evening classes start)Friday through Sunday: CLOSED
