About the Collection Recent Acquisitions Catalogs Exhibitions

Consulting the Collection Reading Room Hours Reader Privileges Requesting Items

Reader Registration Reading Room Rules Reproductions

About the Collection The Avery Classics Collection is the rare book collection of Avery Library and one of the largest architectural rare book collections in the world.

It contains approximately 35,000 printed volumes published over seven centuries, from Leon Battista Alberti’s De re aedificatoria (1485) to the recent limited edition Glenn Murcutt: Architect (2006). The Classics collection also has important holdings of graphic suites, periodicals, manuscripts, broadsides, photographs, and printed ephemera. Its strengths reflect the Library’s original subject scope, established by Avery’s founders in 1890, that is, architecture, archaeology, and the decorative arts.

All Avery books that were produced before 1801 are in Classics. The collection also includes significant editions of major works created after 1800, as well as works that possess distinctive physical characteristics, such as special bindings, exceptional printing, innovative design, autograph inscriptions, or other signs of former ownership. Notable special collections within Classics are the Trade Catalog Collection, which is one of the largest collections of catalogs of the American building trades anywhere, and the American View Book Collection, which includes books, pamphlets, and brochures that document cities, towns, and buildings throughout the United States.

Recent Acquisitions

Avery Classics maintains an active acquisitions program through gift and purchase. To view lists of recent acquisition highlights, select the following links:
2005-2006; 2006-2007; 2007-2008; 2008-2009.

Catalogs

Many Avery Classics are included in CLIO, Columbia's online catalog. However, some items acquired before 1982 have catalog records only in the Avery Card Catalog and the Butler Library Union Card Catalog.

The Avery Card Catalog up to 1982 is available in printed book form as "Catalog of the Avery Memorial Architectural Library of Columbia University," 2d ed., enl. (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1968) (19 volumes), and its five supplements (Boston: G. K. Hall, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982) (18 volumes).

Questions regarding the holdings of the Classics Collection that cannot be resolved by recourse to the online or card catalogs should be addressed to avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.

Consulting the Collection

Avery Classics are available for use in the Avery Rare Book Reading Room (Room 234).

Fine Arts and Avery Ph.D dissertations, and masters theses in Fine Arts, Urban Planning, Historic Preservation, and Real Estate Development are also serviced there.

Reading Room Hours

The room is open for consultation of materials according to the schedule given below. See the Avery Classics Hours Calendar for holidays and special closings.

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
2:15-4:45	2:15-4:45	2:15-4:45	2:15-4:45	2:15-4:45

Reader Privileges

• The Avery Classics Collection is available to Columbia affiliates and outside researchers.
  

• Non-Columbia researchers should contact the Curator by email at avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu

Requesting Items Avery Classics are paged from closed stacks once daily for delivery at 2:15pm. There is a limit of five (5) volumes that may be requested per paging time. Requests for Offsite theses and dissertations must be received by 1:00 pm Mon.-Thurs. for next day consultations. Offsite theses and dissertations are not delivered on Mondays so requests must be received by 1:00 pm Thursday for consultation on a Monday. Readers who need to consult large numbers of items should email directly avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu Only in-person or web requests are accepted. Phone requests are *not* accepted. A small number of items are designated Avery Classics (Cage). These require an appointment with the Avery Director, made at least five business days in advance (Monday-Friday). Email the Avery Director at avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.

In-person requests

• Paper request slips are available at the Rare Book Reading Room.

• The schedule for receipt of requests and delivery of materials is as follows:

Request received by	Delivered at
4:45 pm of the preceding business day	2:15 pm on the following business day

Web requests

• Columbia affiliates may also request material online by using a web request form.

• Web requests must be received by 4:45 pm on the business day (Monday-Friday) preceding the desired consultation date.

 

Reader Registration

All Avery Classics readers, including Columbia affiliates, are required to complete reader registration forms when they arrive at the Avery Rare Book Reading Room. The form, valid for the Columbia academic calendar year, requires the reader to present a traceable photo identification card, such as a valid passport, driver’s license, or Columbia card.

Reading Room Rules

Photo identification cards are held while material is in use.

Briefcases, large purses, bags, coats, and umbrellas must be checked with the Reading Room attendant.

Books and other materials from the Classics Collection must be handled with great care.

Readers must not write upon, lean upon, mark, or otherwise alter or mishandle materials from the collection. No books, papers, or other objects may be laid on the materials or intermingled with them.

Only pencils or laptops are permitted for note taking.

Reproductions

Materials from the collection may not be photocopied or scanned.

At the discretion of the attendant in the Classics collections, readers may photograph items for personal reference. The use of tripods and flash is prohibited.

For the terms and conditions regarding photographs intended for publication, readers should consult the Avery Photographic Services and Fees page. In certain cases, photography may not be possible due to copyright restrictions or the physical condition of items.