Select Rutgers libraries will now be open 24 hours a day
Rutgers University Libraries plans to attract more students by debuting new features and programs this upcoming semester, from new hours to handing out "mystery gifts."
Some Rutgers libraries will begin operating for 24 hours a day in the early fall, said Melissa Just, director of New Brunswick Libraries for the University. Kilmer and Alexander libraries will be open from Sunday morning through Thursday night, but will retain the same hours for Friday and Saturday.
Having the library close at 2 a.m. was inconvenient, said Nick Santuccio, a Rutgers Business School junior.
"I would have to go back to my room or go to the study lounge, and it would usually be very loud and distracting," he said.
Alexander Library and Kilmer Library will be participating in a program that hopes to attract first-year students by giving away mystery gifts during the first day of classes, said Matthew Badessa, public relations assistant for Rutgers University Libraries.
This is meant to encourage first-year students to check out the libraries to become familiarized with the campus, Badessa said.
These gifts can be found at the circulation desks of Alexander and Kilmer libraries. The two libraries were chosen due to the high volume of visitors they have each day.
Rutgers University Libraries will also be expanding their online chat for help with course work or research.
The online services are provided to help students who are doing both course work and independent research by connecting the Rutgers student to a librarian, Just said.
The online services will be available Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. This service expansion will begin on Sept. 11.
If the program's launch in the fall is successful, she said the school will expand it in the spring.
The new service will be very helpful when working on late night research or a paper, said Dylan Mullin, a Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences junior.
The Rutgers Art Library will also be debuting a new exhibit called "PEEP SHOW: Books from the Art Library X Room." This exhibit will feature books from the Art Library’s “X Room,” the library’s rare book collection, according to the Rutgers University Libraries website.
This collection features around a thousand books and illustrations that range back to 1501. Titles from this collection will include many books donated to the library from Louis E. Stern’s estate.
This new exhibit is currently on display and will remain on display until the end of September, according to its website.
This collection is not just limited to books, but illustration books and journals as well.
One example of the illustration book is Illustrations to Edgar Allen Poe by Aubrey Beardsley. The Rutgers Art Library contains 2 of the 107 copies that are available worldwide.
Daniel MacLane is a School of Arts of Sciences junior majoring in political science. He is a contributing writer at The Daily Targum.
