Editorial: On the Art of Working Late

With the passage of the Autumn Equinox, in which the day is exactly as long as the night, Hanover shifts from the expansive days of the summer to the lingering twilight of autumn. This change calls for longer hours indoors; sweaters and scarves become an essential as one braves the chilled night breeze. To be certain, not all aspects of fall are dismal. From the warm apple cider of our New Hampshire orchards to the kaleidoscopic foliage hundreds of eager “leaf peepers” seek out, autumn boasts plenty of strengths in its own seasonal right. 

“There are cathedrals everywhere for those with the eyes to see,” is a quote too commonly attributed to the Bible or Milton’s Paradise Lost when it is, in fact, a Tweet by Jordan B. Peterson. Peterson’s point, however trivial its origin, resonates deeply when one considers the view from the top of Gile Tower or the sight of the Baker-Berry Library when standing at the edge of the Green. The library serves as the hub of  life on campus, both as a social outlet and academic space. It is with an air of sorrow, then, that I write that Baker-Berry Library has reduced its hours of operation from 2 a.m. to a measly midnight. If this change seems trivial to you, dear reader, I entreat you to reconsider your stance. 

Firstly, diligent work takes time. The library serves as home to—nearly—every student as they immerse themselves in their readings, problem sets, and examinations. Whether one wishes to recline in the warm light of the Tower Room or sit among the truly serious on Fourth Floor Berry into the wee hours of the morning, it has been their right to do so since Baker-Berry extended its hours to 2 a.m. in the summer of 2021, following the COVID-era change in operations. And yet, as we approach the height of Fall Term, the library has “soft closed,” so to speak, on its students. 

President Emeritus Phil Hanlon ’77 announced his initiative “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” in 2015 with the intention of raising expectations for college graduates. In an age where the Ivy League graduate represents, favorably, an unrivaled drive for success, or less favorably, an acquiescence to liberality and “real world” detachment, the Hanlon administration worked to ensure that the Dartmouth graduate was an authentic, respectable, and educated member of society. 

Thus, I am brought to my second concern. The reduction of library hours, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights when operations now cease at 10 p.m., abandons students who might opt out of the more festive weekend activities on campus to focus on their academics. Now, if one wishes to escape to raucous crowds roaming the streets of Hanover, they must retreat to their dorm rooms, absent of the community and amenities a late night in the library would provide. 

In speaking of these amenities, I would be remiss not to gloat over Dartmouth’s wealth of research materials. There is no feeling quite like finding the exact volume you were searching for in the depths of the stacks, save for, perhaps, a pirate finding their treasure. Indeed, the Dartmouth collection hosts one of the only surviving copies of Shakespeare’s First Folio, along with the Black Ship Scrolls of 19th century Japan, and, of course, many of the original works of the College’s very own Robert Frost and Dr. Seuss. 

While these might not be the titles one seeks out in their last minute research, there is nowhere for the night-owl to research except for whatever titles are available online, with many academic resources hiding behind a paywall.

The beauty of a liberal arts education lies in its freedom. The freedom of expression and the freedom to break convention are increasingly rare affordances. The freedom to roam about and make mistakes and be up all night because you’re young and learning is what makes these years at the College such a unique and precious time. While we at The Review are not so bold as to encourage procrastination, to the newly abbreviated hours at Baker-Berry we say: while we live, let us live, and while we study, let us study.