After reducing library hours early this semester because of the budget cuts, the University will restore hours to both Alderman and Clemons libraries, University Librarian Karin Wittenborg announced yesterday.
Wittenborg said an expanded schedule will be available as soon as the library can hire students and supervisors to staff the new hours.
"It was clear that the hours of the library were really important to students," she said. "We're going to restore the hours as fast as we can."
Alderman has been closing at 10 p.m. this semester, cut back from its midnight closing time last semester.
Funding for the restored hours came from a $6 million fund that University officials compiled to help offset the budget cut damages, according to University spokeswoman Louise Dudley.
The $6 million relief fund was drawn from several resources, including $4 million from the unrestricted endowment and $1 million from the University Real Estate Foundation, Dudley said.
The last $1 million was procured from sources such as the University Book Store, which generates its own profits and does not rely on state funding. Because the bookstore is a nonprofit organization, it donates its surplus profits to the University, as well as to other groups such as Student Council.
Dudley described the restored hours as "one bright spot" in a string of grim financial news.
Library spokeswoman Charlotte Scott saidhours to most libraries will eventually be restored, starting with Alderman and Clemons.
"Forty vacant student positions are now available," she said. "We will restore the hours as soon as we can staff them."
Scott added that the "satellite libraries," which include most of the science libraries, will not have their hours restored.
(Associate Editor Josh Goodman contributed to this article.)
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