Half of the "NO FOOD OR DRINK" sign on the Powell Library Building's front door is now obsolete.

As part of a major effort to embrace students' changing study habits, UCLA's 11 libraries - including Powell - have begun allowing patrons to drink beverages if they use new spill-proof mugs, currently sold at ASUCLA restaurants.

"If I had a drink, I used to have to drink all of it outside before I came in," said third-year political science major Ravtej Dhaliwao. "It's much more convenient now. I don't have to scarf everything down."

Since the library doesn't sell coffee, soda or other sippables, patrons have been bringing in their own drinks in the approved mugs since February when the policy was amended. For students who put in long hours at the library, the so-called "Think-Drink" mugs keep them going. "It definitely helps to have coffee while I'm studying," said fourth-year student Jennifer Soule.

A relaxation of the no-drink rule is just one of several changes the library has instituted to help students. Under the auspices of the College Library Instructional Computing Commons, students, faculty and staff can check out laptops for use in two library locations, Powell and the Charles E. Young Research Library. And because studying is sometimes a group affair, Powell provides private rooms, complete with dry-erase boards, for group study.

"It's much more polite to other students," said fourth-year student Ramin Ram as he and his biochemistry lab partner, Nima Gharavi, tackled their assignment together behind the glass doors of a study room. The six group-study rooms are especially in high demand during midterms and finals.

"This is just another way to fulfill our mission of finding out what students need and seeing what we can do to facilitate those needs," said Eleanor Mitchell, head of College Library.

The latest change, the spill-proof mugs, have been so well-received that ASUCLA quickly sold out of its initial batch of 2,500 and has ordered 3,500 more, expecting sales to increase as more library users learn of the exception to the rule.

Still off-limits to all drinkers are special collections departments such as those in the Music or Young Research libraries.