Residue from food and drink attracts cockroaches, silverfish, rodents, and other pests that feed on books and papers, thus endangering the collections. These pests also make it unpleasant to be in the library.
Food and drinks can cause permanent staining of library materials, and these materials are sometimes difficult or impossible to replace.
Replacing materials damaged by food and drink consumes a significant amount of libraries' limited financial resources.
The alternative to our preventative approach to keeping the building pest-free is to fumigate once an infestation occurs. This practice is highly undesirable because of the potential health risks associated with the use of toxic chemicals.
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