UH Manoa students fight for library hours with early morning sit-in

MANOA, OAHU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Displeased with a change in hours at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's Sinclair Library, a student group protested the new hours early Monday morning.

A small handful of students held a sit-in at Sinclair — what used to be the university's only 24-hour library.

The group stayed in the library well into the morning. The facility closed at 2 a.m., but when the security guard on duty asked them to leave, they refused.

"We came today to show the administration that we do not approve taking this incredible valued resource away from not just us but all the students in the UH system by closing the library at 2 o'clock when it was previously open 24 hours a day, 5 days a week," UH Manoa Freshman Quinn Patrick O'Malley said.

Monday was the first day of the new hours.

Other campus student groups like the Associated Students of UH (ASUH) have voiced opposition to the change, saying students weren't involved or taken seriously in the change process.

"What is more baffling than the change itself is that students were not included in the decision making process, nor were ASUH's concerns taken seriously," ASUH President Jannah Dela Cruz said.

After initially announcing the changes, UH administration took a second look at the new hours and made revisions to better accommodate students. But still, the library's 24-hour schedule was a thing of the past.

"We understand the importance of library usage, so this decision did not come lightly," Interim Librarian Monica Ghosh said. "Our mission at the Libraries is to serve and be that human connection between our students, faculty and staff, and the knowledge resources that they need to succeed. We are looking forward to continuing that service."

For the new hours, click here. Anyone entering the library after 9 p.m. will need to show a valid student ID.