Ladies and gentlemen, I am writing to request your cooperation and assistance with a pretty easy task. Please, for the sake of our new, beautiful library, use only hard-sided, spill-resistant, secure beverage containers. Since our library has opened, over $5,000 and loads of man hours have been invested to clean up after spills and messes. I am sure that you will agree this time and these funds would be much better utilized elsewhere.

If you are a student who uses a library-safe beverage container 100 percent of the time, please skip to paragraph four. If that is not you, please be aware that soft-sided containers are not approved per library policy and are much more likely to cause spills and damage in the library.

Obviously spills damage keyboards, laptops loaned out by the library and wired study tables can be damaged if liquid runs into the electrical or cable outlet. Carpet is costly to clean and/or replace once it is stained by unnecessary spills, and liquid seeps into the raised flooring where the electrical and network cabling resides. Although even approved containers can cause spills, the library staff is attempting to limit damage by restricting some of the more spill-able containers while still allowing students some freedom to consume beverages.

As a reminder, the policy of the library is that food and beverages — in hard or soft sided containers — are certainly allowed on the Bridge, but hard-sided beverage containers are the only sort allowed outside the Bridge. I kindly ask you to keep all soft-sided beverage containers on the Bridge — please see those blazing, bright labels on the side of the container. Even if the intent is just to run up and grab a drink or snack on the way to class, so much — for example, a huge spill — could happen between the Bridge and the exit.

With all of the above being said, I ask that you drink responsibly in the library. The staff unfortunately has been forced to take on a policing role to keep the library free from soft-sided coffee cups and of course this is not what they signed up for when they came to work for our fine institution. Please help them out and remind your friends, "Look friend, I would prefer my tuition money not be used to clean up after your spills!"

As a reminder, the library is a research and academic center and — at times — a social hub. The AMU would be a great place to snack. The freedom to consume beverages in the library is a privilege that could disappear if we do not work hard to keep our facility in fabulous condition.

As a the undergraduate student representative on the Library Board, I am always seeking student input on various library issues and interested to hear concerns relative to library issues. Please contact me if interested in sharing concerns and input at [email protected]. Have a great week.

Feste is a junior in the College of Arts & Sciences and is the undergraduate student representative for the Marquette University Library Board.

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