Food and Drink

Leave No Trace: Tutt and Seay Library Food and Drink Guidelines

The library has adapted the following Leave No Trace principles of outdoor ethics to its food and drink policy:

  • Plan ahead and prepare: Plan to eat your meals before you come to the library. If you carry in snacks or drinks, please avoid messy or greasy foods that may damage library material and facilities as well as smelly or noisy foods that may be distracting to others. Bring drinks in covered containers and be careful to avoid spills.
  • Dispose of waste properly: Pack it in, pack it out: carry out any leftover food and dirty dishes that you bring into the library. Place recyclables in recycling bins and non-recyclable garbage in trash cans. If you must dispose of beverages, pour liquids into the bathroom sink before recycling or throwing away the containers.
  • Leave what you find: Leave library resources, furnishings, and equipment in the same or better condition as you found them. Report accidental spills to library staff as soon as possible.
  • Be considerate of other visitors: Respect your fellow library users and the next generation of library users.

Exceptions. Food and drink are prohibited in certain areas:

  • Food is not permitted at any of the computer workstations throughout the library.
    Please handle drinks (covered) with care when using a library computer.
  • Food and drink are not permitted in Special Collections.
  • Please do not store food or leave food overnight at library carrels.
  • Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the library except when provided for library-sponsored events in line with campus policies.
  • No food deliveries are permitted.

Goals. We established our food and drink guidelines with the following goals in mind:

  • To preserve our library collections and protect our facility from pests and molds.
  • To promote recycling of appropriate food and drink packaging.
  • To respect our hard-working custodial staff by taking responsibility for our personal behavior.

For more information on Leave No Trace principles, visit the website. Modeled on Carleton College's Gould Library and Gustavus Adolphus College's Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library Guidelines.

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