Joaquin Junco/Staff
After suffering reductions in staff and hours during the spring semester, the Southwestern College library is back at full strength.
Regular hours have been rstored following the hiring of librarian Arnold Josafat and library assistants Alejandra Hurtado and Bobby Feller. Hours are again 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Fridays, and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
Students have expressed relief that the library is now open when they can use it, including computer science major Estuardo Melgar.
“I come to class in the mornings from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.,” he said. “And then I work from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.”
Student worker Gabriela Lopez said students are taking advantage of Saturdays when the normally-teaming library is less crowded.
During the spring 2013 semester library hours were reduced Monday – Friday and the facility closed on Saturdays. Two classified staff were lost last semester, one due to retirement, the other resignation.
Dr. Mink Stavenga, dean of Instructional Support Services, said that an agreement between the district and the classified union prevented the college from replacing classified staff until after the fiscal year, which ended on June 30. Stavenga said no one wanted to see library hours curtailed – particularly during finals week – but his hands were tied.
“We had two people left,” he said. “And obviously you can’t cover 54 hours with two people.”
