Food and Teens
Hi! My name is Cathy. I’m a public
librarian and food lover. In my spare time, I like baking, cooking, eating out and traveling. And I
really like cooking shows and cookbooks. Really. Who can sit through the Food
Network, especially shows like Iron Chef, or look through a cookbook and not
have the urge to try a new recipe?
My baking and cooking is far from perfect,
but I’m normally one to try out a new recipe when I don’t eat out. It’s fun to
experiment in the kitchen. I hope to share everything about food, whether it be
eating out, fun facts about food or just food related topics that pop into my
head.
Random thought of the day: should we allow or
ban food in the library?
10 thoughts on “Food and Teens”
I’m of the opinion that drinks should be allowed in the library, and food disallowed. It’s a regular thing to sit in a chair, reading a book, and take a sip of your drink every so often. Trying to do that with a sandwich would be a much messier affair…the available table space at the library is also a pretty valuable resource for studying students and the like, and shouldn’t be taken up by people just eating their lunch.
I believe that food should be allowed in the library. The books and magazines read in the library are the exact same ones that can be borrowed and brought home. When these items are brought home, many people have instant access to food, so they are able to consume it freely whenever they want, even when using these borrowed materials. By allowing food in the library, it gives people a sense of trust and respect for the library. They will know when to set their limits and which foods are allowed near the library materials.
I believe that food and libraries just DON’T mix. As much as food is great and all, how can you control messy toddlers smearing their chocolate-covered fingers all over Scaredy Squirrel? Sure, you cannot control what happens at home–whether someone will spill coffee or tea over precious pages, but banning food (or at least discouraging it) can control some damage done. Reading a book on your patio, sipping a cool drink is great, but eating lunch can get a little messy.
I think that food should be allowed, for visitors it just adds to the experience. Libraries should be visitor-oriented, and people won’t feel welcome or will feel shut out if they aren’t allowed their lunch. Maybe there should be a notice to not eat so close to books so as not to damage them, and to be careful with what you eat/drink.
I could understand why others may not want to allow it, but I know that if I wanted to eat at the library and wasn’t allowed it, i’d be a bit ticked off. I just hope that others would be responsible and sensible enough not to spill anything or make a mess, and if they were I see no problem with eating there
Since 2008, Toronto public libraries have allowed eating and drinking to provide a more welcoming and relaxing evironment to more members of the community. See the decision here: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2008/06/17/library-food.html
Still, you will see arguments for both sides of the debate. Maggie and Jessica: you both think like directors! You hit home the point that people eat and read at home so libraries cannot control having food on borrowed materials. So the decision was to have a free-for-all with food to make people feel more welcomed.
However, within the library’s physical space, I personally don’t like to see greasy finger marks all over books and computers. I see Mik and Dunja’s views on this. Library spaces are used mainly for reading, studying and surfing but not dining and talking loudly on the phone. I think drinks and light food should be allowed. Messy food should be eaten in a designated area and in reality some libraries are trying to strike a balance by strictly implementing this rule. Will this make most patrons happy?
Do you think allowing food make libraries more welcoming for teens? If yes, do you think libraries will attract more teens if it hosts a fast- food vending machine or a bar? If not, what would welcome teens to the library?
I say certain kind of foods should be not allowed. For Example, food that make a loud noise when biting on it or chewing. I mean it is already allowed, but it shouldn’t be messy or anything. The food should be off the table afterwards, and the area should be clean.
Crunchy snacks do have their distractions. Sticky foods also have a tendency to be quite annoying if spilled on a keyboard or table and not cleaned. In both cases: crunchy snacks and sticky drinks aren’t really great in the library. I think food and drinks are a great way to refresh while being in the library. Sticking to smaller portions is more convenient for the people around you. Ruling out food at the library is pretty much unspoken of. How many times have you brought in food even with the old “no food” policy? Limiting the amount would be more efficient. Borrowing books is like a culture – there’s a community to relax while sipping your tea and chewing some cookies. In any case, food is awesome and it shouldn’t be ruled out of the library.
I’d say that certain types of food should not be in certain parts of the library. For example, you could eat in individual quiet study rooms, as long as you don’t make a mess. But you can’t eat in a public quiet study, where people are gathered into groups. i would want it to be okay to eat where you can make as much noise as you want in the library. (e.g. the children’s area).
Both side have well reasoned points. However, I think we should be given the option to eat and drink in the library under certain conditions. Nobody want to read a book or sit on a chair with melted chocolate jammed in it. On the other hand, eating and reading creates a positive and comfortable environment.
PLEASE PLEASE DO NOT BAN FOOD IN THE LIBRARY. I’ve never actually seen someone spilling a drink or food on the computer. It is a legit argument but it just does not happen in the library. Also, there is a distance between a person and the keyboard- enough space for a sandwich or burger or Coca Cola. It’s AAAAAAALL good!
Please don’t ban food in the library.