Thumbs down on the Palomar Library hours, otherwise the library is a magical place.

The magic is due to the books, but also other materials, the knowledgeable staff, the stations, tables, and rooms that facilitate students’ ability to work and study. Previous semesters, the library/Learning Resource Center (LRC) hours had been limited. But this past fall saw the LRC availability expand with Saturday hours.

For people who work and have other obligations, having access to spaces where the emphasis is on study is a godsend. The outside world can be loud, chaotic, and demanding. Completing assignments there is still doable, but they are made so much easier when students are able to work undisturbed and have functioning WiFi.

Limiting library hours impedes this access. The public libraries have similar business hours, so if someone is unable to go to Palomar’s library, they will likely be unable to make use of the public libraries. In Escondido, the libraries were handed over to private management and the east side branch had been shut down years previously, with a concurrent loss of books.

During the depression in the 1930s, as libraries had to curtail services due to reduced funds, our federal government added resources through the WPA library project. We put our resources into the things that are important to us. If we are to make good on community colleges’ promise of offering educational attainment to the wider population, expanding hours plays a part.