Fondren begins enforcing food and drink policy

By David Ratnoff     10/28/14 4:19pm

Fondren Library administration implemented a new, more restrictive food and drink policy this month, according to Rice University Librarian Sara Lowman. 

“It was only three years ago that we actually started allowing students to bring food or drink in the library, and we never had an official policy,” Diane Butler, Fondren’s director of Information Technology and Access Services said. 

Butler said the unregulated flow of food into the library has created various problems for the administration.

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“First of all, the furniture is expensive,” Butler said. “But we’re also trying to preserve the collection. This is a very expensive [environment]. We have computer equipment and rare archives. So the motivation for this policy certainly wasn’t just one incident; it was a culmination of everything. We finally felt we needed an official policy.”

With Lowman’s approval, Butler oversaw policy development, coordinated staff and revised proposals with an executive board. Fondren did not solicit student input to craft the new food and drink policy. 

“A rough draft of the policy was drafted among access services, which monitors the doors and building,” Butler said. “They researched the food/drink policies at other universities. Then [the executive] tweaked the policy according to what we thought would be best.”

However, the library’s lack of concern for student opinion has generated negative feedback, according to some students.

“Student input should be considered when forming policies that would affect studying habits in Fondren,” Jackie Olive, a Duncan College sophomore, said. “[Students] can represent their residential colleges or other interest groups to provide input into policies that best serve students.”

Fondren administration sought student input when renovating study rooms this past summer.

“In the spring of 2014, we ran two focus groups, one with undergraduates and one with graduate students,” Butler said. “We asked them what their ideal study environment was. Based on their comments, we decided what to do in the 24 study rooms due for renovation.”

Olive suggested the use of online student surveys to gauge student opinion beforehand.

“I was unaware of any serious concerns of the library staff, faculty or students, so it would have been beneficial to increase awareness of the issues before the policy was constructed and enacted,” Olive said. 

One of the policy’s key components is that it prohibits disposable cups, such as those provided at Coffeehouse and in the serveries.

“The reason for [the prohibition of paper cups] is because, if you’ve ever had a disposable cup, you know that if you drop it, the entire cup explodes on the floor,” Butler said.

Lowman said the library also views the policy as a push for sustainability on campus.

“[The food and drink policy is] actually a green initiative, too,” Lowman said. “We’re just cutting down on waste.”

Wiess College sophomore Olivia Nixon said she would have been more supportive of the policy if she knew it was meant to be a green initiative. 

“If that was the real reason they changed the policy, that would be a good thing,” Nixon said. 

The new food and drink policy relies on the student body’s sense of respect and understanding, according to Lowman.

“We hope that students will understand that this policy is meant to enhance the experience and is in everybody’s interest,” Lowman said. “It’s green, it’s going to help preserve the library, it will make it feel cleaner and people can still eat self-contained foods that are not messy or smelly. We hope students will comply and just bring their coffee in these sealed cups.”

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