By SUSAN JEFFRIES, Columnist

Every academic year, I’m asked once or twice why no food is allowed in Northwestern’s libraries. So, let me address this question.

The library is a place of scholarship and study. When you need a quiet place to study or complete assignments, the library is a great place to go.

It’s generally a peaceful place void of chaos. Libraries even have a certain smell most of us associate with them. To create that  necessary space, some protocols are helpful.

Most of us try to be relatively quiet in libraries, we don’t run or roughhouse, and the focus is on learning.

And, while you may be used to eating while you study, others are not. Food is messy, and its smell can be a distraction for everyone.

When students have hidden food in bags to bring in, the evidence from it is nearly always left behind.  That leaves a problem for the next student who needs to use that space.

There are plenty of places to just hang out and eat, and I don’t think anyone is missing any meals because food is not allowed in the libraries at our Enid and Alva campuses.

In a world where anything goes nearly everywhere, please help me keep one sanctuary that values the exploration and absorption of knowledge and the wonder of it all!

And, email me or come knock on my door if you’d like to venture into the vast amount of interesting things to know; I’d be glad to help