Java City @ Memorial Library FAQ
January, 2005 Update
Frequently Asked Questions
- When did the coffee shop open?
- Where is Java City located?
- What hours is it open?
- What types of food does Java City serve?
- How did this all come about?
- Why put a coffee shop in the library, anyway?
- Why aren't you concerned about noise?
- What will the library's new food and drink policy be?
- What about trash?
- What other colleges have coffee shops in their libraries?
1. When did the coffee shop open?
The Coffee Shop opened for business on the first day of classes of spring semester, Thursday, January 6, 2005. The grand opening was held Wednesday, January 19.
2. Where is Java City located?
The coffee shop is on the left side of the main floor, where the current newspapers are currently located, and adjacent to the area under the chandeliers where the new comfy furniture has just been installed.
3. What hours is it open?
Here is the tentative schedule: M-Th 8am – 2 pm, 6 pm – midnight; Friday 8am – 2 pm; Saturday 1 pm – 5:30 pm; Sunday 6pm-midnight.
4. What types of food will Java City serve?
Java! And More Java! (See the Java City site for company background and history.) Plus teas, bagels, pastries, smoothies, sandwiches, fresh sandwiches, yogurt, and other grab and go items!
5. How did this all come about?
During the 2003-2004 school year, the Library already had plans underway to implement and offer wireless networking options throughout the library building, as well as convert the former Print Index Tables Area into a lounge/study area with soft seating and tables to accommodate users who wished to bring their own laptops, palm pilots, and other pda’s to the library. Several of the food service vendors who bid on the Berry contract during the spring of 2004 included proposals for a coffee shop in the library.
Coffee shops in academic libraries are a nationwide trend – they started to crop up during the late 90’s. From the library’s perspective, partnering with Aramark and allowing them to locate here made good sense, both from their perspective (we’ll leave the marketing realities to them) and from the library’s (see the next question for the heart of the matter).
6. Why put a coffee shop in the library, anyway?
The library’s mission is to support teaching, scholarship, and learning at Berry College. There are many ways and service points from which we do this—and some of them must change and evolve over time as we strive to meet our users’ expectations (which are shaped, in part, by your experiences in other settings and environments).
We will continue to provide an atmosphere that is inviting and comfortable for students, faculty, and staff—an environment that encourages community and collaboration, while at the same time continuing to provide a meaningful area for those who come to the library in search of peace, quiet and solitude.
Click here for Some Important Facts About Current Patternsof Library Building and Services Usage
The presence of Java City may offer new opportunities for all of us to expand the concept of the library as a natural information commons, and utilize our wonderful facility in exciting and different ways. Examples of options that have been proven successful on other campuses with library coffee shops include faculty holding office hours in the library, or using the library as an additional venue for special events such as poetry readings, local author book signings, etc., during closed hours. When students on one campus were polled on how they make use of their café, they reported that they like to go there to plan and think through assignments at an early stage. For group work, coffee shops in libraries work well because they provide a place for “early staging” steps, a place for “progress” meetings after individual group members and gone out and done library research, and a place to ‘celebrate’ (quietly!) the successful conclusion of the library research portion of those group presentations.
The coffee shop is just one simple, small backdrop to reinforce and foster the more intangible, communal aspects associated with teaching and learning at Berry.
7. Why aren't you concerned about noise?
The honest answer is that we are concerned about noise, and will make whatever adjustments may become necessary over time to ensure that every student and faculty member who comes to the library in search of a quiet place to study or do research will still be able to find it here, somewhere within our building.
Again, other campuses have found successful answers for this; we are confident that we can, as well. As far as the main lobby area where Java City and the lounge area are located? Well, let’s all try to remember that old kindergarten teacher/parental adage and “use our inside voices.” It really will help reduce the widely anticipated echo-chamber effect!
8. What will the library's new food and drink policy be?
With the arrival of Java City, the guidelines we are starting with will be as follows: food and beverages may be consumed in the new soft seating/tables area under the chandeliers, or in the library basement (affectionately referred to by some as “the dungeon”). Covered water containers are allowed throughout the building.
9. What about trash?
It’s a reality: wherever food and beverages are sold, served, or consumed, there will be more trash. The disposal of Java City-generated trash will be taken care of by food service staff and food service student employees who will be running the coffee shop, but it will be our collective responsibility as thoughtful Berry students, faculty, and staff who choose to eat here to dispose of our trash in the special containers that will be provided. Your utmost cooperation in this matter will be appreciated, and we are confident that we’ll receive it! Again, looking at the experiences from other campuses, this only works and is manageable from a cost perspective when students are on board and sensitive to the special needs of the library environment when it comes to food.
10. What other colleges have coffee shops in their libraries?
Here are just a few examples of colleges running library coffee shops that are not Java Cities: University of Virginia, University of Oregon, Johns Hopkins, University of Dayton, Georgetown University, Syracuse, and many more. Theirs and others have fun, mission-descriptive names like “The Daily Grind” , “The Bookmark Café”, “The Blend.”, “The Midnight Mug,” “Better than Borders”, “The Learning Café.” Clever, eh? We pleaded for clever on the naming of our coffee shop, but alas, our particular setup with Aramark precluded this.
But we are in excellent company: here are just a few examples of colleges running library coffee shops that are called – you guessed it – Java City: Clemson, University of Tennessee, University of Texas, Texas A&M, Eastern Kentucky University, Baylor, UNC-Wilmington, University of Alabama, Florida International University, and an extensive list of many more.
There are a few other library coffee shops within the state of Georgia, but as far as we know, we’re the first Java City in Georgia. So raise your latte proudly and enjoy the ride!