Early birds and night owls, work when you're at your best.

Beginning March 19 and continuing through May 4, the second through fifth floors of the Wells Library west tower will remain open 24 hours a day, five days a week. The floors will close only on Saturdays (midnight to 10 a.m.)and Sundays (midnight to 11:00 a.m.).

The Information Commons, located on the first floor, remains open 24 hours a day, as it has since its creation in 2003.

"Students have voiced their desire for choices in their environments depending on the work they need to accomplish," says Patricia Steele, Ruth Lilly Interim Dean of University Libraries. "And now we're giving them more of what they've asked for. We're providing those choices at the times they need them most, even if it's in the middle of the night. Our goal, always, is to help students succeed academically."

Ramping up the services means the IUB Libraries will hire addition part-time staff to assist with library operations, Steele says. Staff will be on hand to check out books and security guards will patrol the floors to ensure patron safety and building security.

The extended hours are part of a trial project, and librarians will gauge its effectiveness at the end of the semester. There are no plans to extend hours in the east tower of the Wells Library.