Library welcomes Cyber Café with Starbucks products

Say goodbye to the "No Food, No Drinks" signs in UNT's Willis Library — the Cyber Café is coming to town.

The café, which began a summer test run June 10 before it officially opens in the fall, will provide UNT community members with Starbucks Coffee drinks and food items as well as a place to hang out and check e-mail.

The Cyber Café represents a shift in thinking for libraries. Before the café began, UNT library administrators participated in a Texas Library Association forum called "Latte in the Library" with 250 fellow librarians from colleges, high schools and public libraries. Forum participants ranged from the few librarians who loosened food and drink rules to those who were adamantly against it.

"We're concerned about protecting the materials," says Melody Kelly, UNT associate dean of libraries. "But after talking with some of my fellow librarians at the Latte in the Library forum, I became a believer. Each said their students and faculty loved the new atmosphere, and these libraries have seen great success with this service."

So far only a few high schools, colleges and public libraries have tried this locally. UNT's Cyber Café will be one of the major efforts. Willis Library receives more than 770,000 visits in its summer sessions alone.

"This project began a year ago in an effort to make our libraries more customer-friendly and to create a greater sense of community on campus," Kelly says. "And that's definitely been the result in other places that have used this model."

There are some restrictions on what can be brought into the library. For instance, beverages must be in spill-proof containers, travel mugs or sport or soft drink bottles with caps. And while snack foods like candy bars and chips are OK, patrons can't bring in a box of pizza or other meal-type foods.

In addition, some areas are still completely off limits to food and beverages, like the Willis Library Rare Book Room and the computer lab.

Both the Cyber Café and Willis Library are open to the public.

The Cyber Café, which is located on the first floor of Willis Library, will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. this summer, and from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to midnight during the fall and spring semesters. It offers comfortable chairs and tables for lounging and 19 computers for patrons to check e-mail and surf the web.

The café is located near an area of Willis Library where students are allowed to talk and study in groups. This area, which contains 50 open tables, is another break from library tradition.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

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• Summer camp for gifted math students at UNT next month
• Farewell events planned to honor Hurleys
• Eighteen earn 2002-03 Mayborn Scholarships
• UNT professor builds library for Jamaican town in need
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