[PADG:620] RE: cafes in Libraries

["Watson, Joseph" <jwatson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings,

When we opened our new 143,000 sqft. library here at Middlebury College in July of 2004, a cafe was included in the new building. The cafe has a coffee bar with a bursar, and also sells pastries, sandwiches, and salads that are made off-site. It seats about fifty people and functions as our 24 hour study area when the library closes. Middlebury has about 2,300 students.

 

There's no need for a monitor at the door because we relaxed our "no food" policy three years ago. We allow food and covered beverages everywhere in the library except in our Special Collections suite which still has, and will always continue to have, a zero tolerance policy.

 

I'm confident that our shelving and circulation desk staff do a good job reviewing materials for damage, yet we have seen no increase in damage to materials since we relaxed our food policy three years ago.

 

We have an IPM program in that we constantly monitor for pests. In the old building, long before we changed our food policy, we used to occasionally trap rodents, but our new building is so tight that we have yet to encounter pests here. We're lucky to be in Vermont where roaches are uncommon.

 

Removal of garbage is key. ALL garbage bins in ALL the public areas are emptied EVERY day, including weekends. This diligence comes with a cost. We never had weekend custodial staff before the cafe, but the daily removal of garbage is essential if food is allowed in the library and I brokered the additional custodial time as part the deal to accept the cafe.

 

All in all, from my point of view, having a cafe in the building and allowing food into the general user areas has not been a problem for us. The change in policy has been very well received by the college community and the cafe is a big hit, everyone loves it.  

 

Joseph Watson

Preservation & Processing

Library & Information Services

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

802-443-5487

http://www.middlebury.edu/academics/lis/

 -----Original Message-----
From: owner-padg@xxxxxxx [mailto:owner-padg@xxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Cathleen Mook
Sent: Fri, August 12, 2005 1:49 PM
To: PADG (padg@xxxxxxx)
Subject: [PADG:613] cafes in Libraries

          Hello,

The University of Florida is remodeling its main Library and adding a 60,000 sq ft North Wing.  There has been discussion that a cafe be included.  I was hoping to get some information from Preservation professionals on this list who have cafes in their Libraries. 

 

1.  Number of years with cafe in place:

 

2.  Is there a guard stationed near the door into the Library itself, attempting to limit food from being brought from the cafe into the main facility?

 

3.  Have you seen an increase or decrease in the number of volumes forwarded to Conservation/Book repair with food or drink damage? Or did it stay the same?

 

4.  Does your Library use Integrated Pest Management or do you spray pesticides to control insects?

 

5.  What else do we need to keep in mind if a cafe is placed in the Library, especially during the first year?

 

 

 

Please email me your responses directly and if there is sufficient interest, I will summarize for the list. 

 

Thanks,

 

Cathy Mook

Preservation Librarian

University of Florida

cmook@xxxxxxx

 

 

PS.  As I was sure we have discussed this topic on the list previously, I searched the ALA sponsored PADG archives using the word 'food'.  I got only 6 hits, none of which had anything to do with cafes.  I then tried a bunch of other food related terminology.  Again, limited success.  Has anyone got any advice for me re: using this particular resource?  Or do you have the same level of success I have when trying to gather data from the archives?