[PADG:1247] Re: Food and Drinks in Library stacks

[Jeanne Drewes <drewes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

GAry,  that's a great idea, but after a year and a half with our library
cyber cafe with computers in the cafe I can't say that any computer
equipment has been damaged as a result of the food and drink.  We have about
a dozen computers in the cafe and not a one has been damaged, and they are
used constantly.  

I would like to say "I told you so" that our building is overrun with damage
from food and drink, but it just isn't so.  We have more students in the
library, classes are held in the cafe in fact, as well as study groups and
we don't see materials damage.  We do spend more on cleaning the carpet, but
that may be from more traffic as well as some drink spills. I was a strong a
supporter of no food and drink, but now that I have to accept it since it is
right outside my office, there isn't the horror I told people to expect.  I
would expect college students to be responsible enough to pay attention, and
we are finding that they do for the msot part pay attention, maybe they stay
awake because of the extra caffeine.....

Jeanne Drewes
Assistant Director for Access & Preservation
Michigan State University Libraries
100 Libraries
East Lansing, MI  48823
517 432 7486
517 432 1010 FAX
drewes@xxxxxxx
http://www.lib.msu.edu/drewes/
 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Frost [mailto:gary-frost@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, March 08, 2001 7:45 PM
To: padg@xxxxxxx
Subject: [PADG:1246] Re: Food and Drinks in Library stacks


Perhaps to get some traction on food and drink restraint in libraries we 
should mention risks posed to hardware reliability with contamination of 
keyboards and drives and exposed computer ports. Ask the Director about 
trends in reduced connectivity. Then convey that metaphor to books and 
documents.


At 04:36 PM 3/8/2001 -0600, you wrote:
>An archives within a university library has asked me to post this enquiry:
>The library director has claimed that there is a trend in libraries toward
>allowing food and drinks in stack areas.  This seems so contrary to most
>preservation thinking that it's hard to believe.  The archives continues to
>prohibit food and drinks, but is naturally concerned about the increased
>risk of pest infestation (it doesn't sound like pest management has been
>increased in conjunction with the change in policy) from the surrounding
>stacks.  Is this a trend in fact? Has anyone else run into this?
>Please feel free to respond to me off the List.  Thank you
>
>Ala Rekrut
>Head, Preservation Services
>Provincial Archives of Manitoba
>200 Vaughan Street
>Winnipeg, MB  R3C 1T5
>(204) 945-1265
>(204) 948-2008 fax
>arekrut@xxxxxxxxx

Gary Frost, Conservator
University of Iowa Libraries
100 Main Library
Iowa City   IA   52242-1420
319 335-5908  FAX 319 335-5900
<gary-frost@xxxxxxxxx>