Having your favorite comfort foods nearby while studying can really help you stay focused and meet your goals. Many people feel that Countway is the best place on the Longwood campus to study, whether in the quiet of the Russell Reading Room or in one of our group study spaces.
Unfortunately, comfort foods and our vast print collections—many dating back 500 years or more—do not mix. Even when you are careful, something as small as eating a granola bar in a group study room can leave a few crumbs behind. Those crumbs attract mice, and mice often bring insects with them. These unwanted visitors have their own “comfort foods”: paper, glue, and book bindings. Because they are so small, they often go unnoticed until significant damage has been done to the collection.
For this reason, we have a strict no-food policy inside Countway’s turnstiles.
But, we have a café area! Any user is welcome to bring food in sealed containers and, when hunger calls, move to the café seating just outside the turnstiles by the Security desk to enjoy your meal.
Thank you for helping us keep our collections safe and secure.