DUL Food and Drink Best Practices

All of our library buildings are susceptible to incursions by insects, rodents, and other pests. You can help keep these critters out of our buildings by following these best practices.

General Best Practices

• All food waste should be removed from the building at the end of the day (e.g. pack it in, pack it out). This includes:
• Drink cups, bottles, etc.
• Food wrappers
• Food containers (e.g. frozen dinner containers, pizza boxes, etc.)
• Napkins
• It’s best not to eat at your desk, and some departments do not allow this. Other places to eat:
• Outside: Throw trash away in an outside trash can before going back to work.
• Library common areas: Staff lounges, coffee shops inside the library, etc.  
• Food waste/wrappers/cups should not be put in your cubicle or office trash can. Put trash into a securely-lidded trash can if available, or take your trash to a location that is picked up daily (e.g. restroom, coffee shop, etc.).
• Any food stored in desks or cubicles should be in sealed, rigid containers. This includes snacks, coffee/tea, drinks, candy, etc.
• BEST: Glass, metal, or rigid polycarbonate plastic containers with tight-fitting lids (e.g. Rubbermaid Brilliance Collection w/ latching lids).
• AVOID: Cardboard boxes, plastic or paper baggies, or thin plastic containers (e.g. Tupperware) as mice can chew right through those.
• Any recyclable food containers should be thoroughly rinsed, or better, washed with soap and water before disposal.
• Report any gaps in external door frames or foundations that might allow pests in.
• Report any external doors propped open for more than a few minutes. 

Smith Building Specific Practices

All of the above, plus…

• When it is warm, consider eating outside. The tent area is a great choice, as are the benches around the north side of the building. 
• When you eat indoors in Smith Bays 9 & 10, we suggest using tables in the common area (near Shipping). Please clean surfaces afterwards with a disinfectant wipe, this includes your desk area if you eat at your cubicle.
• Candy and fruit bowls, or leftover shared office snacks, should be placed in either rigid containers or the fridge overnight.
• Make sure that the external shipping door is not propped open for very long.

Eliminating food from our areas will reduce the number of ants, roaches, rodents, silverfish, and other pests that we see. Thank you for your efforts! --DUL Preservation Dept.