[2] The entrance of the library is adorned with several mosaics, one of which depicts two men holding a book bearing the phrase, from Cicero's Pro Archia Poeta, "Haec studia adulescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant" ("These studies nourish youth and delight old age"), an appropriate dictum for the vast collection for undergraduate students.

[3] There are also Renaissance Printers' Marks on the ceiling of Powell's Main Reading Room, which is located on the second floor of the building.

The Graduate School of Library and Information Science, as GSLS was later known, was housed for many years in the southwestern corner of the top floor.

In 1951, author Ray Bradbury wrote an early draft of his classic novel Fahrenheit 451 in Powell Library using typewriters that were then available for rent.

Powell hosts de-stressor programs during tenth and finals week, which include providing snacks and bringing therapy dogs, origami stations, and other stress-reducing activities to the library.