Thank you for your comment regarding the smoking receptacles near the entrances to the Davis Family Library building. Facilities Services places containers near entrances not to encourage people to smoke there, but rather to remind – and to make it easy for – smokers to dispose of their cigarettes butts prior to entering the building. Past experience has shown that moving the containers farther away from the entrances results primarily in cigarette butts being tossed to the ground immediately outside the entrance doors.

As I hope you will understand, ensuring compliance with the Middlebury College smoking policy (outside the library building, at least) falls beyond the purview of LIS staff. However, violations of the smoking policy can be directed to Public Safety. Also, if you are interested in advocating for an entirely smoke-free campus, Staff Council is likely to be a good starting point for a conversation.

Thank you for contacting us.

Terry Simpkins
Director of Research & Collection Services