The new Café TJ in the Thomas Jefferson Library offers a wide range of Starbucks coffees, salads, sandwiches, snacks and more. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Cramming just got a lot more enjoyable. Just in time for finals week at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, a new café has opened inside the Thomas Jefferson Library.

The new Café TJ, carved from unused office space adjacent to the main door, opened for business Dec. 3. Featuring a full range of Starbucks coffees, the café also serves snacks, sandwiches, salads and wraps prepared by Sodexo, the campus’ food service provider. Café hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Café hours will be abbreviated during breaks and the summer session.

Just in case you’ve forgotten the rules for eating and drinking in the library, here they are. Inside the café, you can eat and drink all you want. The bright, sunny space has lots of tables and chairs, some with electrical outlets to plug in your laptop. Inside the library, the old rules apply. No food allowed and drinks have to be covered in spill-proof containers.

Library hours have been extended the weeks of Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 to accommodate increased library activity for finals.

The weather forecast this week includes record-breaking high temperatures. That should entice students, faculty and staff to grab an iced latte and head for the new outdoor seating in front of the library.