RE: [padg] Food and drink policy

[<Valinda.Carroll@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

When I started here in the fall of 2004, the existing posted food and
beverage ban was being ignored after the departure of the former
director. There used to be a requirement that staff had to carry food
through the loading dock entrance, and receptions held in the atrium
meeting room were serviced via the loading dock hallway. There is a
fully-functioning breakroom on the third floor with microwave,
conventional stove, fridge, etc., accessible via the loading dock
elevator. Lately, staff have been carrying food openly through the
building from the main entrance, and consuming it in front of students.

The reference librarians didn't want to use the break room, so they set
up their own coffee station and mini-fridge. The support staff followed
suit, so there are probably a half-dozen fridges and there is food
consumption throughout the building. A public vending area with soda and
snack machines has a separate entrance near the 24-hour study (outside
the security cordon of the library).

I suggested to the past acting director that we require travel mugs and
sports bottles with a spill-resistant design. The acting director
decided to take my food and drink policy and change it to suit herself,
by writing a policy that it was okay for staff to consume cookies and
chips at their desks and the spill-proof containers were not to be
required.  

I have seen MLS librarians using books as coasters here, so I really
don't know what to do other than take pictures of this stuff. I have
already designed one poster with pictures of stained books, but I
haven't put it up yet. I have gotten no backup from any staff, save the
collection development librarian. Many of the other employees have never
worked for institutions with strict policies.

One day, I was returning material to special collections when I found
the special collections graduate assistant eating spaghetti that she had
microwaved in the office of the current Peabody (special collections)
librarian and past acting director. This tomato-sauce laden food was
being consumed at the scanning workstation where fragile, rare materials
were being digitized. Needless to say, I was irate that this student's
supervisor was willing to permit such careless behavior in the one place
where one would expect people to be cautious. 

 Recently, some of the same staff members who eat at their desks have
asked what I plan to do about the messes left in the group study rooms
every night (Chick-fil-a, Dominoes, and other food waste).  The
custodial staff has expressed irritation at the amount of trash. The
building has had a chronic recurring mouse problem, but it is primarily
seasonal.  Until the employees are willing to control their own habits,
then things won't improve with the students.

Public receptions are usually cleaned up very quickly, and the trash is
taken out through the loading dock doors right away. There are bait
stations near the loading dock to try to control the rodent activity in
the trash room (about 3 feet from the loading dock with a separate
door).

Valinda Carroll
Preservation Manager
Harvey Library
Hampton University



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