24-hour library announced for next year

From the next academic year, the library will function in a 24-hour capacity, it has been announced.

This comes after months of campaigning by the current Warwick Students’ Union (SU) Sabbatical Team – and years of campaigning by the SU as a whole. Vice-Chancellor Stuart Croft alerted SU President Isaac Leigh to the decision late last night.

Pushing for a 24-hour library was a key manifesto point for both Education Officer Charlie Hindhaugh and Postgraduate Officer Nat Panda when they ran for office.

The decision is subject to final confirmation by the University Council in July, but it is expected to be ratified then.

When announcing the update, Warwick SU commented: “The SU has campaigned on this for several years now, and so we are extremely pleased to see it finally happen.

This campaign has been really enjoyable because it has involved students from the very beginning. It’s something you have asked for loud and clear, and we’re delighted to have worked with you to deliver it.

Isaac Leigh, SU President

“Its passing as formal SU policy last year at our All Student Meeting gave the project extra impetus, and offers a timely example of how sustained student engagement with these sorts of issues can ultimately help them come to fruition.”

They added: “A number of mechanisms are in place to ensure that concerns around wellbeing will be mitigated, as well as logistics concerning transport and extended opening hours for the Library Café.”

Isaac Leigh stated: “This campaign has been really enjoyable because it has involved students from the very beginning. It’s something you have asked for loud and clear, and we’re delighted to have worked with you to deliver it.

“Thank you for helping us make such a strong case to the University. We firmly believe that this shows the power of the student voice in making tangible change on our campus.”

This article will be updated with comments from the Sabbatical Officers and the University in due course.