Volunteers from Kent State’s Greek community have a new job: cleaning the University Library.

In what’s known as the “Clean and Pristine” plan, the library has implemented an adopt-a-floor program. In the program, floors five through 10 are assigned to a Greek organization, which is then responsible for the cleanliness of the floor.

Mark Pike, assistant dean of University Libraries, is in charge of the “Clean and Pristine” plan and said with the new math emporium, remodeled first floor and the “Fab Fourth” floor, it is important to provide a clean environment.

“Our goal is to keep a library that is clean, neat, comfortable and inviting,” Pike said. “So that our students, faculty and our staff have a place to come and study and research that they like.”

Pike said the library staff sent out a notice to fraternities and sororities seeking help. Within a day or two, they had enough volunteers.

The Greek organizations that have expressed interest in the adopt-a-floor program are Sigma Tau Gamma, Sigma Nu, Delta Gamma, Sigma Phi Epsilon, Gamma Sigma Sigma and Delta Sigma Phi.

“The response was almost overwhelming,” Pike said. “I’m very proud of our Greek community.”

Pike said that James Bracken, dean of University Libraries, borrowed the adopt-a-floor idea from a similar program at the Ohio State University’s library.

“The dean had a vision of a library that was in different shape than the one he discovered when he arrived in August 2010,” Pike said.

Having current staff take on the responsibility of keeping the floors clean wasn’t something the library wanted to do, Pike said.

“Our tower floors are larger than the tower floors in Columbus,” Pike said. “ Having staff do this work would be difficult because of the time commitment. We have a custodial staff that works third shift. This building is so big, they’re hard pressed to get the building clean from top to bottom everyday. This is really going to take a load off their back.”

Contact Nathan Christofaris at [email protected].