Contact: Nancy Rue, coordinator of user services at Alden Library, 614/593-2696

ATHENS, Ohio -- When Ohio University's Spring Break begins on March 22, students will find Vernon R. Alden Library open for their use. Alden, the main library facility on campus, will be open from noon until 4 p.m. on both Saturdays (March 22 and March 29) during the break. In previous years, Alden Library remained closed on weekends.

"We are responding to requests, primarily from faculty and graduate students, who use the break period for research," states the library's coordinator for user services, Nancy Rue. "Opening the library requires 14 staff members to be on duty for both service and security reasons, which limits our flexibility in adding hours to the library's schedule. But we are offering Saturday hours this Spring Break as a trial. We'll carefully evaluate the numbers of people using Alden during those hours."

Library hours in the future may be altered, depending on the response to the expanded schedule and the library's ability to obtain additional funding for staffing.

The library will remain closed on Sundays during the break, and will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, March 31, before resuming its normal schedule when classes begin April 1.