University of Miami students now have more time to study, research and collaborate at the Otto G. Richter Library after its hours were extended for the fall semester.
The library now opens one hour earlier each day of the week, following the passage of a bill by the University of Miami Student Government Senate advocating for expanded library access.
Under the new schedule, Richter opens at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, compared with its previous 7:30 a.m. opening. On Saturdays and Sundays, the library now opens at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than its previous 10 a.m. opening.
The change comes nearly three years after library hours became a major concern among students. In November 2023, the University announced that Richter would no longer remain open 24 hours during final exams and would instead operate from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. The change was part of overall budget reductions that also affected library resources and database subscriptions.
Students pushed back against the decision, circulating a petition calling for the restoration of 24-hour access during finals. Following the student response, 24-hour finals-week access was restored.
This semester’s expanded hours represent another change driven in part by students advocating for greater access to campus study spaces.
Alexandria Espineira, FEC senator and author of the Student Senate bill, said the idea began after hearing concerns from her sister, Gigi, a pre-med student who struggled to use Richter before her 8 a.m. classes.
“The issue was that the library opened at 7:30 a.m., which only gave students a 30-minute window to study and walk to class,” Espineira said.
Turning that concern into a change in library operations took nearly an entire academic year. Espineira researched library hours at other universities, including Clemson University and New York University, and worked with the Student Senate Academic Affairs Committee to draft and revise the bill.
During the spring semester, she also met with Richter Library administrators and helped create and distribute a university-wide survey to demonstrate student interest in earlier hours. The finalized bill eventually passed the Student Senate before moving through additional University approval.
“Although the process was lengthy to say the least, it was incredibly rewarding and taught me a lot about how much student government makes an impact on how the university operates,” Espineira said.
Espineira said the additional hour is intended to serve a range of students, including commuters, students with 8 a.m. classes and those looking to complete work earlier in the day. The expanded hours may also provide additional opportunities for federal work-study students employed at the library.
For Espineira, seeing the new schedule implemented is especially meaningful because the library initiative was the first bill she worked on as a senator.
“This was my baby,” Espineira said. “I didn’t let myself get discouraged by the lengthy process or small setbacks, so it does feel incredibly rewarding to see that I made an actual change on campus.”
The new hours are:
Sunday: 9 a.m.–2 a.m.
Monday–Thursday: 6:30 a.m.–2 a.m.
Friday: 6:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m.–10 p.m.
Whether students use the extra time for early-morning studying, group projects or simply a quiet place before class, the expanded schedule gives students more flexibility in how and when they use one of the University’s primary academic spaces.