Letter to the Editor: Dorothy Meaney

To the Editor,

The lead editorial on Monday, Nov. 4, “Study-area weekend hours should match weekday hours,” caught our attention in Tisch Library. Study space and library open hours are ongoing areas of evaluation for us. We appreciate the perspective reflected in the piece.

There are over 7,000 students enrolled on the Medford campus, with busy lives, a wide variety of schedules and commitments and individual preferences for how, when and where to study. We recognize that an old-school service model that assumes everyone is socializing on Friday and Saturday nights no longer meets our campus needs. The libraries (as well as Eaton Lab, SEC and other spaces) are actively striving to balance community input and feedback with the very real challenges of staffing and security.

One goal is to expand the availability of our spaces. Thanks in part to our trusted student staff, we have been able to make some changes in this direction. A year ago Tisch began opening earlier on weekdays to accommodate printing needs before first block. This fall, responding to one of our most frequent requests, we extended weekend hours so there is now a 7:45 a.m. opening, seven days a week.During the exam period, Hirsh Reading Room is open 24/7, and Ginn, Tisch and Lilly libraries are part of the campus-wide group that works to open additional study spaces through finals. We also consistently collect data to help us understand building use patterns, and recently began using software that will allow more detailed analysis to inform changes. (When you see people walking around looking like they are counting people — they are!)

All Tufts libraries aim to provide welcoming, inclusive environments, with a variety of spaces to allow for both quiet study and collaborative work. Thank you for your support as we continue to make changes.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Meaney

Director, Tisch Library