The KRLX Record Library has announced that they will be hosting open hours in the library for three hours every day, seven days a week. Staffed by at least one record librarian every hour, students can come in and listen to any records or CDs that they would like to.
“It’s not our first time doing [open hours], but it is like our first time or first time being like this open so far,” Record Library Manager, Ruby Dirks ’26 said. It was a kind of struggle, I think to get it back up after COVID. They did smaller club events and things which were really fun… It wasn’t until the winter when it kind of opened up again which was for two hours, every evening on weeknights only… this year, we have a lot more flexibility.”
This newly-opened space offers students a place to relax, do homework and hang out with friends, all while listening to the biggest collection of records of any liberal arts college. “When I interviewed for the KRLX board, my goal was to [show] how important it is to get more of Carleton down here because the issue of accessibility to the Libe has come up… So literally just trying to keep the doors propped open for longer and longer periods of time,” Dirks said.
Other board members share the excitement. “We ask ourselves, how can we expand it? How can we engage people, how can we make it a more inclusive space?,” KRLX Co-Community Involvement Manager Grace Bassekle ’25 said. The major set back for this goal this year has been the construction of Sayles, where the Record Libe is located. The staff is hoping that, with open hours and construction wrapping up later in the year, the studio will receive more foot traffic.
A large part of the reason that KRLX is able to host more open hours is because of the increase in student librarian volunteers this year. “This is a crazy amount of new record librarians. I think we have like 30 on our signup sheet, which is kind of crazy,” Dirks said.
One of the record librarians responsible for helping to keep the library open to students is George Wening ’27. “I found out about the Record Libe because I have a radio show with KRLX, and they asked people about volunteering to help start up the Record Libe again and keep the doors open. I love music and records, so it sounded really cool to me,” Wening said.
Students that serve as volunteers can benefit from the activity by learning how to use the equipment in the Record Libe as well as meeting and helping all the people that show up for open hours with locating and using turntables and CD players. “Day to day it’s really kind of hanging out in the space, making sure it’s clean. Keeping good vibes, like letting people in if they want, teaching people how to use the turntable if they don’t know how, and just kind of like having somebody there to keep the space open,” Wening said.
KRLX has done much to make the Record Libe more accessible for students, but they aren’t done yet. A common theme among the staff has been wanting to figure out how to make it even more open to the Carleton community. “We want the space to be used by everyone, and it isn’t used by everyone. It’s used by a small percentage of people. It’s such a nice cozy spot, and it should be used more, but we also don’t want people to disrespect this place. So it’s like, how can we find that right medium?” Bassekle said.
The Record Libe will be having open hours from 7-10 p.m. on weekdays and 2-5 p.m. on weekends. Additionally, KRLX hosts live shows every Thursday in the Record Libe from 8-9 p.m.