After over a month of negotiations between the Associated Students and University departments, library Late Night Study will be extended to operate from 1-3 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and will now open at 7 a.m. every day of the week.
The Late Night Study program will be from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. from Sunday to Thursday, while hours terminate at 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Nexus file photo
In early September, the UC Santa Barbara Library quietly announced it would be closed from 1-8 a.m., as well as on all University holidays, starting at the beginning of the academic year. This decision was made as a part of UCSB’s permanent budget reductions due to state and federal budget cuts, alongside rising operational costs. Students started a petition in response to the new hours, which garnered over 1,100 signatures.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Associated Students (A.S.) and several campus entities, students have 24/7 access to study spaces in Phelps Hall (Room 1521) and the Humanities and Social Sciences Building (HSSB 1203).
The MOU is an agreement between the parties to facilitate the Late Night Study for the rest of the 2025-26 academic year and was signed by several A.S. members, the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Services, the UC Police Department (UCPD) and the UCSB Library.
According to the MOU, there will be a one-time transfer of $20,000 from the A.S. Senate’s unallocated funds to extend Late Night Study hours for the rest of the year. Other parties will provide the remainder of the funds, and any unspent funds will be transferred back to the Senate.
According to A.S. Internal Vice President and fourth-year history and global studies double major Enri Lala, it costs around $60,000 to staff 24/7 Late Night Study hours, not including electricity and custodial staff. The additional Late Night Study hours will be staffed by Student Safety Partners, student employees of UCPD who patrol the campus year-round, identifying safety hazards and assisting in emergencies. Lala said the current arrangement of staffing will save “about $12,000” in staffing costs.
When discussing budget reductions, library leadership conducted a cost-benefit analysis of library services and amenities to determine which resources were most used. According to building occupancy data, patron activity is minimal during Late Night Study hours, except for Dead Week and Finals Week. Lala said that usage data will be analyzed throughout the year to routinely evaluate student needs.
The MOU states that, once full inquisitive funding is provided and received by the parties, UCPD will implement its staffing immediately. Representatives of parties will provide regular reports to the Senate on how A.S. funds have been utilized, including the disbursement of funds and how much remains at the end of each quarter.
Off-Campus Senator and third-year political science major Natalia Pascher stated the Senate did their best to “keep the fiscal impact in mind,” including compromising with the library regarding reviewing the data on what times were most utilized by students. Late Night Study will not extend to Friday and Saturday, as according to Pascher, the library was “adamant” these days had “significantly less activity.”
Lala and Pascher emphasized that the Association’s goal is still to fully reinstate Late Night Study. Lala added that he is “optimistic” about communication with the University going forward.
“Long-term is a priority. We understand that with the current political climate and with the current economy, there are budget cuts and they will continue to probably squeeze and pinch the university for resources,” Lala said. “[The MOU] reinstates late night study as soon as we have been able to get it done, and then it also ensures that we have time for long-term discussion and [are] keeping an open line of communication with [the] campus.”
A version of this article appeared on p. 1 of the Oct. 30 print edition of the Daily Nexus.
Why would it open at 7am? How many students after a hard night of partying will be there at 7am? That’s a waste of money.