The UO’s Knight Library is extending the hours when students can get research and study help and closing its doors when few use it.

When Dean of Libraries Adriene Lim and her team looked at how many students used the library during the third week through the ninth, they noticed that use fell off heavily between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. Sometimes, 10 people or fewer would be using the 300,000-square-foot library overnight.

“The statistics provided evidence that it'd be better for more students if we extended our regular hours,” Lim said. “We will also improve safety and security for our students with this new model.”

Knight Library will now have professional and knowledgeable library staff members on site to help patrons until 2 a.m., when the library closes. A security officer will also be on duty in the library during late-night hours.

In addition, the library now opens half an hour earlier on weekdays, at 7 a.m.

During week 10 and finals week of fall and winter term, the library will still be open 24/7 — hundreds of students used the library during the overnight hours during that time.

“We wanted to provide our library services in the most effective, safest way possible for students," Lim said.

Hours of operation for the first nine weeks of the 2016 fall term are:

• Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-2 a.m.
• Friday: 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Saturday: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Sunday: 9 a.m.-2 a.m.

More limited library hours will be in effect during the week of the Thanksgiving break. Beginning Sunday, Nov. 28, the library will be open 24 hours through the end of final exams.

See also building hours for all UO Libraries locations and Special Collections & University Archives hours.