Management's response to Ben and his family members

To All Staff:

You may be familiar with Laura Numeroff’s famous children’s book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

Well, we have a similar story to tell about our library facilities, but it goes something like this: If you give a mouse a cookie, or the old baloney sandwich you left on your work station, the Doritos in your desk drawer, the pizza crust in the staff kitchen sink, or the leftover cake from the staff party, the mouse will inform all his or her mousie friends, who will all move into your office space, eat the food, and have large mousie families. At which point there will probably be a lot of mice, and a lot of staff “Eeeeking!” Followed by phone calls to Custodial and Engineering.

The only reason mice enter libraries is to eat. Staff have not observed mice reading or using computers yet.

What You Can Do:
1. Keep ALL your food in HARD containers. No exceptions. Mice will eat right through plastic bags. Hard plastic Tupperware containers will work, metal is best, and tight lids that keep odors in are good.
2. Do NOT leave open food in your desk drawers. The mice will get in there.
3. Be sure to clean up after staff parties, do not leave food out at night.
4. Wipe down counters and sinks in staff kitchen areas.
5. Clean microwaves and toasters!
6. If you see a food mess that is too much to deal with, please notify your custodian or call the custodial office for clean up at 4376, or 4377.
7. If you notice a recurring problem area, please also file a reqform with Custodial on Staffnet.
8. Do report all mouse sightings.

What Facilities Does:
1. Engineering and Custodial keep a written log of phone calls, emails, and reqforms regarding mice.
2. The above problems are reported to the City approved pest control contractor, Pestec.
3. Pestec services the Main weekly, or more frequently when required, and 190 and branches as needed, plus spot checks at all facilities to look for undetected activity.
4. Custodial has redeployed custodians to increase the amount of trash picked up before closing.
5. Custodial has also increased efforts to tidy problem areas, including the Main trash compactor.
6. We do our best to respond to your requests for pest service, and we value your suggestions in controlling this problem.


FYI -The City has legislation requiring Integrated Pest Management (which Pestec conforms to). The legislation is the CITY AND COUNTY ENVIRONMENT CODE Codified through Ord. No. 52-08, File Number 071672, approved March 21, 2008.

Facilities Director