Library Coordinator Linda Meyer clarifies why the library hours are the way they are

The Cesar E. Chavez library hours come into question quite often. In the “Letter to the Editor” segment from the Sept. 22 Times issue, Tiffany Errecalde expressed her concern regarding the library’s availability. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“I’m pretty sure it was in the middle of a budget crunch, a big drop in the school’s budget, and lots of things got cut. We lost a position: the classified staff,” Meyer said. “We had to cut those hours.”

The staff position was lost in the 2010-2011 academic year: it would take roughly $65,000/year (not including cost of benefits) to secure a full-time librarian technician, according to last year’s library Comprehensive Program Review.

The library hours used to extend to 9 p.m. and were open for four hours on Saturdays.

The SJCC library has never been open past 9 p.m. Meyer said, and would suggest for students that have night classes, to visit the library before class. It is also very unlikely that the on-campus library would be open past 10 p.m.

“For working people, we need to be open on Saturday, like we used to be,” Meyer said. “We used to be open 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., but even that’s not enough.”
Meyer and other library department officials often worry and are disappointed that students, who take night classes, do not receive the same services as day time students.

Students such as Errecalde, have night classes, are not able to make it to the library before it closes by 7 p.m.

However, with a recent newsletter sent campus-wide, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library located in downtown San Jose, offers SJCC students to study alongside San Jose State University students for their extended hours. Students need their SJCC student ID and a public library card to check out any materials.

The Associated Student Government pays $500/ semester for these services.

Errecalde’s “Letter to the Editor” expressed her dismay about traveling all the way downtown, find a well-lit parking spot, and that the scent of urine kept her from focusing on studying for more than 30 minutes.

The San Jose Public Library system is a student’s best friend, Meyer said. If heading downtown is not your thing, there is the Bascom library nearby campus as an alternative to SJCC or SJSU’s library.

Meyer said the extended hours at SJSU’s library are a wonderful opportunity for students to have access to the high level materials and have 24 hour nonstop study sessions during finals.

Meyer encourages students to share their concerns to the Dean of Language Arts Keiko Kimura and other deans because the students are responsible of making change happen.

Make your voice heard on this issue: Contact Linda Meyer at [email protected] or Keiko Kimura at [email protected].

To learn more about the Cesar E. Chavez Library, visit http://www.sjcc.edu/library.