The Doe and Moffitt Libraries received an anonymous donation of $30,000 on Oct. 2 that will keep them open 24-hours during finals for the fall and spring semesters.

The funding was secured after ASUC President Will Smelko met with Chancellor Robert Birgeneau last Friday and advocated for the libraries to remain open as usual during finals.

In past semesters, Doe and Moffitt were open 24-hours during finals, but budget cuts to the campus, amounting to $150 million this year, forced services to be cut back.

At his monthly meeting with the chancellor, Smelko said he wanted to voice the concerns of students.

"The notion that the students wouldn't have library hours open during finals is really a detriment, and has the potential to hurt students' learning experience here," he said, adding that he had promised students during his presidential campaign to keep the 24-hour library system intact.

Within the hour following the meeting between Birgeneau and Smelko, Birgeneau located a Berkeley alumnus who was willing to donate the money to support the 24-hour library services.

University Librarian Thomas Leonard said Birgeneau called him Friday to share news of the donation.

"We were very pleased because we know this is a top priority for students," he said. "We've had many conversations with folks from ASUC and they've been sincere and reasonable in seeing how we could bring this about."

Up until the donation was made, library officials said they were going to adjust the library's own budget to keep Doe and Moffitt open until 2 a.m. to accommodate students during finals. Officials said students most frequently access the libraries before 2 a.m.

Smelko said the ASUC Senate had been considering alternatives to counter the elimination of the 24-hour policy at Doe and Moffitt, such as opening Pauley Ballroom after the libraries close at 2 a.m. during finals.

According to Leonard, library officials have noticed in the past years that students are "more nocturnal."

"Ideally we'd be able to be open to fit their schedules," Leonard said.

Some students said the campus should provide quiet places to study and would be upset if the libraries were not able to locate funds to keep them open.

"I think students would be over-dramatically mad, because they'd think about the (proposed) 30 percent increase in (student fees), and now the libraries are closing," said freshman Josh Primas, computer science major.

Brianna van Erp, a first year graduate student in public health said, although the change does not impact her significantly, she will take advantage of the extra hours the libraries are open.

"The library is such an amazing resource in the University of California and to keep it open is a valuable thing," she said.

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