For much of her previous three years in high school, Woobin Wang (12) would make her way to the library right as school ended on Mondays. She would take her spot in the space reserved for quiet study, working until the library closed at 5:15. That time frame was the most productive portion of her day. However, the new school year came with new challenges; on Mondays, the library now closes at 4:00 So, instead, she opts for the San Diego public library. “School ends at 3:35, and also with the new ID check-in, there’s a long line,” Wang said. “By the time I’m in the library sometimes, I have [only] 15 minutes to do work,” Wang said.
Although Monday’s available library hours were cut down drastically, contrary to popular belief, the total library hours on Tuesdays through Fridays have remained the same. But, they have shifted to open and close 15 minutes earlier. The shift in schedule offers students 15 more minutes before school to study, but the majority of students — who only use the library resources after school — have 5 minutes less time than last year.
Wang said that the time she spends at the library is extremely valuable because being among other students helps her stay on task.
“I did go [to the library] a lot because it’s just nice to go straight from fourth period to finish your work right after school,” Wang said. “I feel like when I go home, I think I can take a nap first and then I don’t actually start work until 5. It’s harder to be productive at home. It’s pure motivation to see other people work, [because] then you want to work too”
Librarian teacher Jennifer Radosevich attributed the loss of library time on Mondays to district-wide budget cuts.
“Part of [the schedule change] is because of finances,” Radosevich said. “You have to pay somebody to be here and budgets have been slashed across the district.”
Similar budget cuts have limited library time for Westview students since 2008, according to former Westview library media teacher Cheri Tomboc-Brownlie. It’s thanks to funding from the Westview Foundation that the school has sustained the extra hours.
“The Library Hours were always determined by staffing and funding,” Tomboc-Brownlie said. “In 2008, the district had a budget crisis, staffing was cut and we lost the Library Assistant position, causing our library hours to be reduced to 7:45-3:45. The Westview Foundation was very supportive when told about the reduction of library staff and hours and they’ve supported paying for the Library Media Technician to work an extra hour four days a week since Spring 2009.”
Still, Wang tries to utilize Westview library’s space on the three days that she can stay until 5. For many students, approximately 60-80 after school according to Tomboc-Brownlie, the library space is a sanctuary for many different activities.
“Before school, it’s definitely a place for studying, printing, completing class work, and academic pursuits,” Radosevich said. “After school, there are a lot of students who come and study; there’s tutoring, but there are also kids just hanging out.”
