As of right now, Schreiber’s library is only open until  the end of the school day.  However, should it remain open past this time?  Although the school district would likely incur extra expenses for doing so, the library should stay open after school, as it is a great place for students to study and complete homework, especially if such a space is not available to them elsewhere.  It also holds many resources, like a computer lab and printers, that may not be accessible otherwise.

“I think keeping the library available after school hours is a good idea because sometimes it’s more convenient for kids to finish their work at school than to go home and work,” said freshman Shawn Nabavi. 

Keeping the library open after school has many potential benefits for students, including allowing them to use free time more productively in a safe and quiet setting.  This could be an important help for some students who may not have the best home environment to do schoolwork or may be easily distracted.

This commitment to extra library hours would, admittedly, require some sacrifices to be made.  Staff would have to stay after school to supervise students, which would cost the school time and money to hire separate librarians or staff to work after school or pay overtime to current ones. 

“Keeping the library open longer would provide students with a quiet place to work; however, the librarians would be required to stay after hours,” said senior Sarika Israni.

Nonetheless, the benefits of opening the library after school far outweigh the costs.  The library could be a critical resource for those who face many distractions at home and would provide a place for student-athletes who may have a game or practice later in the afternoon.

“I think it would be good to keep the library open because many kids have siblings and can’t work at home,” said freshman Tilden Vaezi. 

To ensure that resources do not go to waste, in the event that only a small number of students choose to stay at the library after school, Schreiber could slowly ease into a plan where the library only opens for a few days each week for a few hours.  This could help reduce the strain on the school’s budget and librarians.  Additionally, fluctuations in the number of students taking advantage of the library each day should be expected, depending on sports practice and test schedules.  The potential help that after-school library hours would bring to students, even those who may not take advantage of it daily, is undeniable.

Schreiber should follow in the footsteps of other high schools on Long Island whose library hours already extend their hours later in the afternoon.  At Chaminade High School, the school library is open from 7:50 a.m. to 4 p.m. The hours of the library at Great Neck South are from 7 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Meanwhile, Schreiber’s library is only open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.  If other schools can keep their libraries open after school, then Schreiber can as well.

With all of this in mind, it seems completely plausible and feasible to keep the library open after school.  Although sacrifices and investments will have to be made, the potential benefits to students heavily outweigh the costs.