Student Government is looking to reinstate Library West as a 24/7 facility by the end of September.
The Student Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday giving $160,000 to fund Library West’s hour extension.
The bill has to be passed in the Senate again next Tuesday for the funds to be transferred, said Emily Dunson, the Budget and Appropriations Chairwoman.
“I really do think this bill reveals the fruition of what hard work and communication look like between administration and the Student Body,” Dunson said.
UF Student Body President Ian Green, who wrote the bill, is working with library administrators to have it open overnight by the end of September, he said.
Library West will need to hire new staff members for the overnight hours before it can be open 24/7, Green said.
The money for the first year of funding will come from the SG reserve account, Green said. Money in this account comes from students’ activity and service fee, but SG officials couldn’t confirm how much was in the account.
The reserve funds are supposed to be used for one-time expenses, Green said. The Office of the Provost will then fund overnight hours for the library from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2021.
“It’s a huge win for students,” Green said.
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
Valentina Caro, a first-year UF psychology student takes reads a book on the second floor of Library West on July 20, 2015.
