The Goldfarb Library and Gerstanzang Science Library have reduced their hours by eight and 62 hours, respectively, in light of recent surveys conducted by Library and Technology Services. The Goldfarb Library now closes at 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights and opens at noon on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Previously the Goldfarb Library was open until 8 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday and opened at 10 a.m. on the weekend. After-hours study hall is also no longer available at the library. Additionally, Gerstanzang Science Library is no longer open over the weekends. The money saved from the cut in hours has been used to make improvements to the libraries and create new programs, some of which are already in effect.

According to Director of Integrated Services at Library and Technology Services Joshua Wilson, the eight hours that have been cut from Goldfarb's hours only saw between zero and five students use the facilties. Wilson said that monitors at the doors to the library allow library administrators to review these statistics.

"We conduct two online surveys each year. The data gathered from these surveys helps us make informed decisions about the services we offer to the University community, and helps us tailor our services so that they're as helpful as possible for Brandeis students, faculty, and staff," Wilson wrote in an e-mail to the Justice.

One of the surveys looks at the IT and library services while the other examines student use of instructional technologies, including Latte, according to the e-mail.


The decision was made by LTS as a whole but was recommended by Wilson. Wilson said in an interview with the Justice, "We wanted to decrease hours by a minimal amount that would cause the least amount of harm to students while still leaving funds that would be created by this decrease available to allocate to much cooler and useful things for students overall."

The increase in available funds from the decrease in hours has been used to increase LTS Help Desk hours, which have grown from 63 hours per week last year to 78 hours this year. LTS has also now implemented on-the-spot computer repair at the Help Desk.

LTS has also used the newly available funds to create a pilot laptop program. The program includes 12 new laptop stations in the upper mezzanine of Goldfarb that each feature a power outlet, monitor and mouse for use with students' own laptops.

As a result of additional funds, in mid-October LTS will install laptop lockers that allow students to charge and safely store their computers while they study in the library. A small number of laptop power cables and accessories for Mac and Dell laptops will also be available to students around the same time.

Two new scanners have been also been installed in the Goldfarb Library commons. Students can now print from their laptops directly to library printers.

"The library is definitely a place where students can go to shut themselves out from the distractions that college life has to offer and focus on their work. It is not crippling to me but definitely unfortunate," said Adam Cohen '12.

"Most weekdays it's really the same hours, so I think that if the University's going to cut something, then a couple hours a week isn't too terrible," said Laura Hand '11, who works at the circulation desk.

Hannah Janoowalla '10 said that "sometimes, even when it closed at 8 ... that was too early for me."



- Shana D. Lebowitz contributed reporting.