Parks Library is open 24/7 Dec. 3-15.

According to our syllabus, fall semester is rapidly coming to a close. Due to the positive response to expanded hours during recent dead and finals weeks, Parks Library will be open around the clock Dec. 3-15, 2017. Students and faculty recognize the extent and value of services offered in the library and have been quick to express their gratitude for the extended hours at the conclusion of each semester. Extra library time has been cited by more than a few students as one of the reasons they pass.

“We are pleased to keep Parks Library open continuously during dead and finals weeks,” said Dean of Library Services Beth McNeil. “We offer a quiet place for serious studying around the clock for those 13 days. This semester we are grateful for a new partnership with Student Wellness that features some additional stress-reducing activities.”

Check websites or call before you go. A variety of activities to foster student wellness will take place in Parks (Upper Rotunda unless stated otherwise) and around campus over the next two weeks:

• Expanded hours for Barks@Parks during Dead Week: 1-5 p.m., MWF; 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tues.; 10 a.m.-noon, Thurs.
• Coloring pages and books, puzzles, and games.
• Mindfulness Room, Room 297, is available during library hours.
• Walk the Labyrinth 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 6, Sun Room, Memorial Union (Student Wellness)
• Chair massages will be offered from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8.

Hours for some services housed in Parks Library are extended:

• Bookends Café, Room 184, will be open expanded hours. Students and faculty can stop by for food and fuel until 11 p.m., Dec. 8 and 9 and until 2 a.m. Dec. 10-13. Bookends is back to regular hours for Dec. 14 and 15.
• IT Solution Center, Room 192, will be open until 2 a.m.

The library boasts reliable Internet access and even though there are constant requests for more, electric outlets and USB ports for devices are plentiful. Students say the library is bright and full of other people engaged in coursework, too, which makes it a good alternative to a dorm room or apartment, especially at night.

Speaking of home, when students reach the point where they’ve had enough and need to sleep, they are encouraged to go home and get solid rest. Over 11,000 people use the library each day and more during the next few weeks, so with student academic success, safety and space as the main concerns, literally living at the library for these next two weeks is discouraged. Come early. Stay late. Go home when you’re tired.

“I remember late nights spent in the library studying for exams when I was in college, finishing group projects, or simply finding a quiet spot to focus my energies at the end of the semester. It’s important that we provide our students with safe and convenient places to study,” said Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert. “I greatly appreciate the Library staff’s willingness to adjust their schedules and keep the doors open during ‘crunch time' to better serve our students.”

Special Collections and University Archives and the Media Center will maintain regular hours. For additional information about hours, resources and services, visit the University Library website. For additional information about Bookends Café, visit the ISU Dining website. For additional information, visit the Student Wellness site.