Helping Students Succeed Through Extra Hours

By Dee Near, Merced College

The Merced College Library has consistently been voted the number one student support service on campus. One of the biggest reasons is the extra effort the staff make to help our students. Beginning in 2014, the library began staying open until 11 p.m. Monday – Thursday the week prior to finals. It is known as “Cram Week” on our campus, and the library provides coffee and snacks such as string cheese, fruit and granola bars to keep the students’ energy up. The initial funding for this effort was provided by Student Equity funds, and now the Associated Students of Merced College provide money for the snacks. The survey comments include “It is Awesome!” “Great work on helping students become successful” and “I just thought it was a good idea to give students more time to use the resources.”

In addition to the longer hours, the Monday of finals week we host a Christmas Cookie and Cider event. The staff bake cookies, and we offer hot chocolate and hot cider to enjoy while relaxing in our Wendell Olsen Forum area upstairs.

The librarians have also added a jigsaw puzzle table this semester. Students are enthusiastic about this addition to the library, and have worked at least four 700 plus piece puzzles as a cooperative effort. It’s really fun to see students working on projects that bring them together outside the classroom.