Officials Reconsider Cabot Hours

Summer School officials, in response to student opinion, are reconsidering last week's decision not to extend Cabot Science Library weekday hours from 10 p.m. to midnight. Thomas E. Crooks '49 director of the Summer School, said yesterday.

Last night an informal survey of 110 students studying at the Cabot Science Library revealed that most students would stay in the library if it remained open until midnight.

Last week, a petition, submitted with nine signatures, requesting longer hours was denied by Louis E. Martin librarian of Harvard College, and Alan E. Erikson, Cabot librarian.

Martin said yesterday that when he discussed the petition last week with Erikson they both initially felt "the request was a matter of convenience rather than absolute necessity."

Crooks Favors Extension

Crooks said yesterday that he is in favor of extending the hours until midnight and he said he has offered to cover extra staff costs.

He said "If the two midnight hours are important to students then it is worth the extra cost since especially now when tuition is so high we need to attract not discourage, summer students.

He added that he thinks Martin and Erikson may change their decision not to extend the library hours until midnight possibly at the sacrifice of opening the library later than 9 a.m.

Martin said yesterday he thinks there is sufficient library time and students should plan their time to take advantage of it.

He cited budgetary and staffing limitations as reasons for last week's decision not to grant the request.

Ernesto Parra and Jose Lazo, Summer School students who initiated the original petition, said last night that best studying conditions are late in the evening and the intensity of a Summer School course requires longer library hours.

Lawrence Williams, a Summer School student taking science courses said he signed the petition because he needs a place conducive to studying. He said he thinks "such a request at an institution of higher learning is very reasonable.

Last year library hours were extended to 10 p.m. from 8 p.m. by students request. There was no additional cost because extra staff was not hired. Martin said yesterday.

He said if hours were extended this year not only might extra librarians need to be hired but next year students would expect the library to remain open until midnight.

Erikson was unavailable for comment yesterday.