As of Monday, Green Library’s Hohbach Hall will stay open through the night Sundays through Thursdays, Stanford Libraries announced. On Friday and Saturday nights, the library will continue to close at 7 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.
The new schedule comes 419 days after the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) passed its original resolution to open Green Library for 24-hour study in Feb. 2024. Spearheaded by undergraduate senate chairs Ivy Chen ’26 and Gordon Allen ’26, the project faced delays in hiring and construction.
After finding two new full-time librarians and security staff, the library extended its hours to 3 a.m. for five days a week during winter quarter as a trial run of longer hours.
According to Alexis Manheim, the Associate University Librarian for Technical and Access Services, the library expects two more years of funding for nighttime access.
Manheim wrote in an email to The Daily that an average of 20 to 25 students used the extended hours during winter quarter, with attendance peaking between the hours of 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. After 1:30 a.m., attendance dropped to around 10 to 15 students, which the library anticipates will “remain steady when the hours shift from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m.,” Manheim wrote.
Chen and Allen wrote in a statement to The Daily that they “share the frustrations” of students who criticized the delayed implementation. The senators wrote they “were relentless in their communication with the administration” to extend the library hours and offered suggestions to streamline the approach but that the University’s process to hire new staff moved slowly.
Manheim and the senators acknowledged that some challenges remain in keeping the library fully open. Notably, between around 11:55 p.m. and 12:05 a.m., students must leave the space and stand outside the library before being let back in once late night hours begin.
“I’m glad late-night studying is now an option, but it seems to defeat the purpose of late-night studying at Green if it’s interrupted by a 30 minute hiatus,” wrote Emma Williamson, a coterminal master’s student in computer science, in texts to The Daily.
According to Manheim, the transition allows for a staffing change and time to secure the library, ensuring no visitors remain inside. She wrote that the library is considering “short and long-term options” to address the problem. The library is also open to feedback from students to help smooth the process.
Manheim added that the library is seeking additional funding for various improvements, such as installing more power outlets and lounge chairs and reducing glare.
Chen and Allen have suggested a kickoff event for the newly 24-hour space, wrting that students should “stay tuned” for more details.