For David Greenberg, a doctoral student in history, Butler Library is home away from home. Not a place for socializing, it is a haven for serious study. He spends hours in the newly-renovated reading rooms, where he can take advantage of the handy tabletop Ethernet connections and close proximity to references and also the quiet solitude of an environment designed and dedicated to study and learning.

But what he never bargained for was studying among scattered peanut shells left by the previous occupant of the seat, walking into a reading room slapped by the smell of a tuna fish sandwich, or the sight of coffee cups and Coke cans abandoned on tables, waiting for someone to pick them up and throw them away.

Listen up, says the library staff: "Butler" does not mean we clean up after you!

In response to concerns expressed by library users and librarians, Butler Library is rolling out a new eating and drinking policy effective immediately. The policy calls for absolutely no eating in any area of Butler library other than the lounge. Drinking will now be permitted in approved spill-proof cups only.

"With the recent renovations of the library comes a great deal of pride in the results, which are shared by faculty, staff and students alike," said Elaine Sloan, vice president for Information Services and University librarian. "This shared pride in our library has led us to create a more tolerant policy, one more reflective of the desires of the community and we hope that by complying, users will do their part in helping us maintain the quality of this library for the users today and for those to come."

Library administrators will be launching an awareness campaign of the new policy on April 18. For the remainder of the semester, the pilot program will test the effectiveness of the policy and evaluate user compliance.

Beginning April 18, "Be library friendly: No eating in the library. Drinking in spill-proof cups only," and other slogans will be displayed on table tents, book marks and posters to go up around campus. Acceptable drink containers and food/beverage damaged books will be on display throughout the library. At 9:30 a.m. in the main entrance¹s vestibule, librarians will be handing out 1,000 spill-proof cups to patrons on a first-come, first-served basis, which they can use for discounted refills at Cafe Cappuccino.

Library users may also submit their No. 1 reason to not drink without a spill-proof container or eat in Butler to cul-topten@columbia.edu until April 25. Winning contributors to the "Top-10" list will receive either a $25 CU Bookstore certificate or first prize: a dinner for two at Le Monde.

The campaign and pilot program come in response to what both students, faculty and librarians view as a troublesome disregard for the library¹s no food and drink policy. Not only does the eating disrupt other library patrons, the amount of trash left for others to clean up has increased, thus increasing the risk of vermin in the library. At the end of last semester a petition signed by some 50-60 students and a few librarians was brought to the attention of Library administration. Rather than turning to patrols as the only means of remedying the problem, librarians opted to introduce a policy that incorporates the community¹s needs.

"This is not a crack-down," said Michael Stoller, director of Humanities and History Libraries. "In this policy we acknowledge the fact that patrons often spend hours in library reading rooms and are in need the occasional cup of coffee to keep them going. We hope that library users will be considerate of those around them and help us make this pilot program a success. The next step will be to consider the implementation of patrols, if the pilot fails."