Although the exam period of the winter semester was likely as packed as ever with written exams, assignments and oral exams, it marked a special premiere for us. In response to repeated requests from our users, we trialled the 24/7 opening of our library from 5 to 13 February 2026, meaning the building was open continuously to members of Chemnitz University of Technology during this period.
Anyone who followed our Instagram channel closely in January was able to take part in our story poll regarding the upcoming 24/7 opening. On average, 38 people shared their views on each question, and although the results weren’t representative, they did give us a brief insight into the general mood. We were delighted to read that you appreciate us as a place to study and that you are able to prepare well for your exams here. When it came to questions about preferred study times, two distinct preferences emerged: studying during the day versus studying at night.
Sixty-two percent of participants cited the morning and afternoon as their preferred time for studying. When asked, “Are you ready for 24/7 opening hours?”, 44 percent of participants stated that they intend to continue studying at the library during the day. In contrast, 38 percent of participants prefer to study at night. For this group, the 24/7 opening hours were apparently of particular interest, as 56 percent of participants were looking forward to it and half of them even planned to visit the library only at night from now on. When asked whether there is currently enough time to study in the library, 64 percent of participants replied that it is not the case for them. As no reasons were given, only assumptions can be made as to the causes. One possible factor could be the library’s opening hours, which have been extended to midnight once again during the exam period. However, from 5 February 2026, everyone should at least have had nine days of sufficient time to prepare for their exams in the library.
The 24/7 opening kick-off was marked by the ‘Long Night of Procrastinated Assignments’, which was attended by around 800 people between 4 pm and midnight. Many students stayed in the building afterwards to spend the following hours ‘at night in the library’. Although we didn’t have any talking exhibition pieces, you still made good use of the time, for example playing games in the common area or for study sessions in your sleeping bags.
However, statistics from our security service indicate that the initial enthusiasm for the extended opening hours quickly waned. Over the following days, there were only around 30 people in the building from 12.30 am onwards, and by 4 am there were only five to ten people left. What has been proven is that the extended opening hours until midnight pay off during the exam period, as an average of 90 people were studying in the library between 10 pm and midnight; the highest attendance was 128 and 118 people.
Overall, only a limited number of users visited the library during the night, meaning that visitor numbers fell short of expectations. The costs associated with security staff and electricity were therefore not justified. For this reason, we do not consider 24/7 opening to be feasible; by contrast, the extended opening hours until midnight have consistently proven to be in high demand.
Although (unfortunately) the saying ‘After the exam period is before the exam period’ applies to most of you, do enjoy the last few days before the start of the summer semester and get some good rest!