Alkek Library will be open 24 hours, starting April 29, after Student Government advocated for the change since spring 2025.
Alkek will be more accessible to students for finals week, offering a safe study place for night owls who prefer studying late at night. The initiative responds to requests from many students, however it will lead to some changes in the staffing and safety procedures, according to student government.
Abby Myers, former student body president and psychology senior, said when she campaigned for president, students requested to have the library open for 24 hours through student surveys and outreach.
Myers said her main concern when introducing the initiative was how it would affect student workers, but she has full faith in the Alkek administration to take care of its staff.
“My goal in introducing this is obviously not to harm the student workers that we have,” Myers said. “It’s generally to ensure our student body understands that their needs are being heard.”
Myers said this is a pilot program and Student Government will get statistics from the time period to determine if expanding the hours is worthwhile.
“It’s also been discussed quite heavily, and so my hope is that this trial run will go well, and that way we can look into this being a long term solution” Myers said.
According to Darell Schmick, associate university librarian, Alkek plans to hire graduate students through Handshake to take over any the night shifts at the library. Graduate students are being hired since they are wanting to pull from older applicants.
“The position on Handshake is for graduate students, and the hours that are advertised [are] from 1 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.,” Schmick said.
Once the graduate student hours conclude after 7:30 a.m., regular staffing is expected to resume. Undergraduate student workers hours aren’t expected to change at all. During the 24-hour access, all floors of Alkek will be available to students. Services such as checking out books will also be available using the self-checkout machines.
“We have self-checkout machines, and then one is also available at the entrance of the second floor, the main entrance … So students can check out books using self checkout machines during that time,” Schmick said.
The self-checkout machines will require students to scan their Texas State ID, as well as the book they plan to borrow and then follow the instructions on the screen. Starting at 11 p.m., students are required to scan in to the building at the front doors on the second floor with their student ID to ensure only Texas State students enter.
According to Cat Hoyt, alternative program coordinator for UPD, Alkek will be fully staffed with security presence, extending their hours to around-the-clock access to ensure the safety of students during the late hours.
“We will have staffing in the library 24/7. It will be comprised of public safety officers, student public safety officers, and even police officers,” Hoyt said.
Student public safety officers are student employees trained by UPD to increase security on campus.
Bobcat Safe Rides will also be extending its hours to address the 24-hour access to Alkek. Bobcat Safe Rides will transition to strictly on-campus locations and Alkek only and will be operating Mondays to Wednesdays from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m., Thursdays to Saturdays from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. and Sundays from midnight to 7 a.m.
Veronika Holmes, a desk assistant at The STUDY at Alkek, the tutoring component of SLAC and sociology sophomore, started working at Alkek last year.
Holmes said she enjoys working there because her schedule is lenient and not stressful to her schoolwork and The STUDY will not be open during late hours and her schedule is not expected to change during the 24 hour time period.
“I feel like my day-to-day is pretty chill as a student worker, I like my position … it’s a lot of social interaction with people,” Holmes said.
Jerry Rodriguez, microbiology junior, avidly uses the library and is excited about the extended hours Alkek hours.
“I study better at night … I feel like those late hours would be really useful,” Rodriguez said.
According to Rodriguez the requirement to scan student IDs eliminates any safety concerns he has and feels like it provides adequate safety measures.
The library will return to regular hours on May 13. Alkek’s summer hours are Mondays to Thursdays 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fridays 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays to Sundays from noon to 6 p.m.
