While some may say the third time is a charm, it is still unclear whether 24-hour access to Cabot Library during reading period is here to stay.

For the third semester in a row, night-owls have the option of doing late-night studying for their finals in Cabot Science Library, which is currently open 24 hours a day through the end of exam period.

But according to George H. Dunlap '74, the evening supervisor of Cabot, it is still unclear whether the extended hours will be permanent.

Dunlap said that overnight student use of the library has not been consistent.

"Generally, what we've found is that the library is used considerably until 4 or 5 a.m. when [use] drops off," he said.

He said that usage tended to pick up at about 7 a.m.

"My personal feeling is that between midnight and 3 a.m. there is good justification [for keeping the library open]," he said.

But he suggested that opening the library earlier might be more beneficial than operating from 3 a.m. until 7 a.m.

Richard A. Phillips '99, an employee at the Cabot circulation desk, said he enjoyed having more access to the library.

At that hour, "It's just you and the books," he said. "If I study at home, I tend to get comfortable and fall asleep. [Cabot's] a pretty sterile environment."

As a biology and anthropology concentrator, Phillips said he thought more science concentrators took advantage of the extended hours because they were less likely to have to write papers.

Naudia N. Bryan '98, the student supervisor at Cabot and a pre-med, agreed with Phillips, but added that studying so late at night was not always a good idea.

"We're obsessive," she said. "It's just not healthy [to study so late]. There's a point when we need to say, It's 3 a.m.--maybe we should go to sleep."

Having worked at the Cabot circulation desk on Saturday night and into Sunday morning, Bryan said she found the library's nocturnal atmosphere to be very conducive to studying.

"It's the best time to study at the library," she said. "But I think it's just promoting unhealthy study habits."