Jessie Goodson Reporter

Lauren Fiorillo Editor

Andrea Hill | CAMPUS CARRIER

Berry College Dining Services employee Phillip McClure waits to ring up students’ snack purchases while in the library.

Berry students no longer have to venture outside the library to grab food during a long night of studying. 

Provisions On Demand (POD) was opened in Memorial Library in September. It provides food options at a low price for students and operates alongside the existing Java City coffee shop. The POD and Java City are conjoined and have collaboratively adapted the environment of the library.

Administration began to notice an increase in student activity and sales in the evenings at Java City and wanted to add something to give students access to food faster than walking to Krannert. Even though the POD in the library is similar to the one in Krannert, offering various food and drink options to students for longer hours has not impacted its sales and both have continued to thrive. 

Aramark General Manager Fraser Pearson said that the POD adds to the whole Java City experience and makes the library more well-rounded. Pearson also said that having the POD in the library benefits students living in dorms on that side of the campus and gives them quicker access to snacks and drinks.

“We know that a vibrant combination of social and academic atmosphere is what is successful with students,” Library Director Sherre Harrington said. 

The POD stays open with Java City and both share a cash register. They have longer hours for student convenience and stay open until midnight on weeknights. POD employee Phillip McClure said that the central register keeps good flow and prevents crowd build up. Some students do not agree and have had a harder time adjusting to the new environment. 

“The POD took up one of my favorite study spots,” sophomore Benjamin Minor said.

The library took out several tables and study spaces when they built the POD. This causes more movement on the first floor. The POD also causes more trash in the library that makes extra work for housekeeping services. Some students complain that the Java City line is now somewhat awkward and crowded, but the dining services employees say that it is the most efficient way to combine the two. Not only does the POD make the library busier, it also makes it louder.

“I think that it adds noise and unnecessary foot traffic,” freshman Blake Dean said.

Even though opinions about the POD vary, the Berry dining staff has made an effort to keep students’ needs in mind.

Pearson researched the top 25 list of food items most frequently purchased at Berry for inspiration. They then used that information to stock the POD. These most popular items include grab-and-go sandwiches and Chex Mix snacks. 

Students spend hours on end in the library, and now they won’t have to leave to get a meal. Java City also benefits from the POD and gets more exposure when students come to get food. Dining services and the library administrators are open to student suggestions in an effort to continue to improve the POD.