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Acquisitions Department

Food and Drink Guidelines for TS Work Areas

20060522

Objectives:

a) To protect the collections and our files from food residue and particles;

b) to keep environment uninviting to silverfish and other pests.

Food:

1. No eating at desks or work surfaces. (Alas, candy is food.)
2. Do not walk around while eating.
3. These are the areas where food is allowed (“designated areas”):
1. Meyer 3 rd floor staff room
2. Meyer 3 rd floor Yoko conference room (for special events)
4. If you bring treats to the designated areas:
1. You are responsible for removing remaining food, plates, crumbs, etc. no later than end of day. The sooner the better. Dispose in special food trash bins.
2. If food is served on a Friday, be sure to remove trash to the dumpsters outside the building to avoid having it sit over the weekend.
3. Person bringing treat is responsible for providing napkins or paper towels.
4. Cover treats.
5. Use your good judgment – don’t bring sticky, greasy, gooey stuff.
6. Reminder: wash hands before touching library materials or paperwork.
5. Food may be brought to meetings or parties scheduled for Meyer 3 rd floor meeting room. Schedule room through Ava Gainer.
1. Clean up immediately after meeting.
2. Dispose of food, plates, etc. in special food disposal bins in Meyer 3 Staff Room.
3. The Meyer 3 Yoko conference room is not a general lunch room.
6. Minimize food stored in desk. Keep in sealed plastic or airtight canisters. Do not dispose of any food items in regular wastebaskets; use special trash bins in Staff Room.

Drinks:

1. First rule is to use good judgment about having drinks in your work area.
2. Drinks are allowed in work areas as long as they are securely covered.
3. Take special care around keyboards, collections, files.
4. Supervisors will encourage staff to use good judgment; there could be special restrictions in individual units.
5. Coffee pots are allowed only in Staff Room. Staff may make their own rules for making and paying for coffee, cleaning up, etc.
6. The long-standing Facilities’ rule that there be no coffee or hot pots at individuals’ desks is re-confirmed. The initial reason was general fire safety, but the draw on electricity on computer circuits has been a huge problem as well.

Guidelines for Plants

Objective: To minimize habitat for silverfish and other pests that put our collections at risk.

1. Knowing that any plant (real or artificial) is silverfish habitat, minimize the number of plants at your desk and in work areas. No proliferation beyond what we have now. The objective is to significantly reduce the numbers.
2. As people leave, they should take their plants home with them.
3. Large plants are both a physical hazard and a problem for IPM. Remove large pots (maximum width = 8”), plants, and all vines.
4. It is in a vine’s nature to conflict with our IPM objectives. Take home your vines and fast-growing plants. They will be much happier there.
5. Knowing that water in cut flowers presents danger for spillage and increases the silverfish habitat, we do not encourage cut flowers. However, if you do get flowers, take care to place them out of the way of collections, computers, and other equipment.

Integrated Pest Management Measures

Objective: To control pests through the creation of an environment that is inhospitable to them rather than reliance on the use of harsh chemical treatments.

1. Preservation:
1. Monitors for pests throughout the building on a quarterly basis.
2. Quarterly walk-through of the building to identify problem areas.
2. Facilities:
1. Works with Preservation to correct building problems, such as replacement of door sweeps.
2. As the liaison to ABM, ensures proper housekeeping and attention to problem areas, for example, increased vacuuming when necessary.
3. Schedules baseboard or other treatments as necessary with Pest Control. (Cedar oil or boric acid products are used vs. long-term residual insecticides.)
3. Staff:
1. Ensure that collection materials are up off the floor.
2. When possible, remove books from boxes on arrival and collapse and remove cardboard boxes from the building on the same day.
3. Follow food, drink, and plant guidelines.

Last modified: July 25, 2006