The idea for Raynor Library to be open 24 hours came from MUSG in the 2002-03 school year. After discussing the idea for some time, MUSG put out a survey online for all Marquette students, asking if there would be a need for the library to be open 24 hours a day, and who would make use of it. According to MUSG the response of the student body was significant and after research the school decided that the library would be made accessible at all hours of the day, so that students could continue studying for as long as they needed to without having to find other study spaces.

Library staff expects to see an increase of library usage during mid terms and finals, but said they hope students will take advantage of this opportunity at all times of the year. The survey put out last year showed that study habits changed little during finals and mid terms, and that for the most part students said they studied till around 3 a.m. year-round.

The response to the new Raynor Library as a whole has been high. According to Julie O’Keefe, coordinator of the Library Outreach Program, within the first week the library opened it hit a high of 4,000 students in one day, in comparison with the Memorial Library, which brought about 3,000 students.

“The turnout has just been tremendous,” O’Keefe said. “Students just seem to be flocking here. It’s nice after years of constant planning to know that we must have done this all right.”

Public safety officers, who will be guarding the library at night on Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. until 8 a.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 11 p.m. until 9 a.m., are also excited about this new opportunity, as it will be their first time working outside of the dormitories.

“This is a state-of-the-art facility — you don’t find a place like this very often,” Lillruse said.

Students will have no access to the second story after 11:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and after 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. However, if there is a demand for more computers and studying space then the library will consider keeping the second floor open 24 hours as well. For now, members of the library staff said they are looking to test everything out and see how it goes.

“It is very rare that libraries are open this number of hours,” said Tom Holberg, head of access services. “We’ll find out; it will be interesting.”