<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small">Thank you, Nyama. I was following this thread with interest and these are great points that I wouldn't have considered.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:small"><br clear="all"></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><i>Cynthia Stanczak</i></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">Library Director</span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Albion District Library</span><div>501 S. Superior St.<br>Albion, MI 49224<br>(517) 629-3993</div><div><br></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px">Albion District Library: Transforming Minds, Changing Lives. </span></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px">Proudly serving our community since 1919.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px">Online at </span><a href="http://www.albionlibrary.org/" style="font-size:12.8px" target="_blank">www.albionlibrary.org</a><span style="font-size:12.8px">, or find us on Facebook! </span><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Wed, Nov 13, 2019 at 3:50 PM Reed, Nyama via Michlib-l <<a href="mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org">michlib-l@mcls.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Hello Melissa,<br>
<br>
I encountered a similar complaint a couple years ago - plus I am allergic to peanuts and many other foods and live with this on a daily basis. I looked into library policies on it quite a bit and settled on no policy or signage.<br>
<br>
My feedback to the patron was:<br>
1) Schools are able to be nut-free bc they are a controlled environment. They control who comes in and what is eaten.<br>
2) A public library is not a controlled environment.<br>
3) We could put up signs and set a policy, but people will ignore them. <br>
Ex. Someone may sneak into a corner to eat a PB&J sandwich. Or may eat it before coming in and then touch the doorknob with the peanut butter oils.<br>
4) The presence of signage and a policy may give people living with nut allergies a false sense of safety in the library.<br>
5) As a person who lives with food allergies I have to be hypervigilant in all environments for my own safety and it is best if families remain hypervigilant too.<br>
<br>
I expressed great concern for the grandmother and her granddaughter and stated that I live with it too, so I empathize with the fear and concern for her child. Alas, we cannot guarantee a safe environment even with signage or policy.<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
Nyama<br>
<br>
Nyama Y. Reed<br>
Library Director<br>
N.Reed@WFBLibrary.org<br>
414-755-6551 (direct line)<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Whitefish Bay Public Library<br>
5420 North Marlborough Drive<br>
Whitefish Bay, WI 53217<br>
414-964-4380 (main line)<br>
<br>
Our Mission<br>
The Whitefish Bay Public Library, as a cornerstone of the community, is dedicated to connecting people of all ages, inspiring a love of learning and providing easy access to ideas, information and resources.<br>
<br>
*Please be advised electronic mail becomes a "public record" as allowed under public record laws when sent or received as part of normal business processes.<br>
<br>
<br>
Today's Topics:<br>
<br>
1. nut-free libraries (Melissa Malcolm)<br>
<br>
<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Message: 1<br>
Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2019 09:46:27 -0500<br>
From: Melissa Malcolm <<a href="mailto:melissa@lib.lapeer.org" target="_blank">melissa@lib.lapeer.org</a>><br>
To: Michlib-l <<a href="mailto:michlib-l@mcls.org" target="_blank">michlib-l@mcls.org</a>><br>
Subject: [Michlib-l] nut-free libraries<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<CAChhsn6LLO983ZqCwZnzzaCUaX=<a href="mailto:naUfFs9Hdjyz8NJUyLZm9Tw@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank">naUfFs9Hdjyz8NJUyLZm9Tw@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
<br>
Hi all--<br>
<br>
Happy snowy Monday!<br>
<br>
The library had a complaint on Saturday about our not being peanut-free. I<br>
know that schools have those policies but had not heard of libraries having<br>
them. I did find a couple of public libraries outside of Michigan with a<br>
notice that the library is nut-free, and one with a policy.<br>
<br>
Is there a Michigan library with a policy, and what do the procedures look<br>
like for enforcing it? Do staff members need to make sure that their<br>
lunches and snacks do not contain peanuts, almonds, etc?<br>
<br>
Thanks for any advice!<br>
<br>
melissa<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Melissa A. Malcolm<br>
Library Director<br>
Lapeer District Library<br>
201 Village West Dr S<br>
Lapeer, MI 48446<br>
<a href="mailto:melissa@lib.lapeer.org" target="_blank">melissa@lib.lapeer.org</a><br>
<a href="http://www.library.lapeer.org" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">www.library.lapeer.org</a><br>
810.664.9521 <callto:810.664.9521> ext. 3113<br>
"If liberty and justice mean anything, then access means everything." --<br>
Charles Ogletree<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Michlib-l mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Michlib-l@mcls.org" target="_blank">Michlib-l@mcls.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://mail2.mcls.org/mailman/listinfo/michlib-l</a><br>
</blockquote></div>