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The Avery Classics Collection is the rare book collection of Avery Library and one of the largest architectural rare book collections in the world.
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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.
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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.
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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 Monday to Friday 10:00-1:00 and 2:00-4:45.
See the Avery Classics Hours Calendar for further details.
Paging times: Avery Classics are paged from closed stacks four times per day (at 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2:15 p.m., and 3:30 p.m.). Request forms must be received at least 15 minutes before the paging times. There is a limit of four volumes per paging time.
A small number of items are designated Avery Classics (Cage). These require an appointment with the Curator, made at least two working days in advance. Requests to see Cage items should be made by email to avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.
Non-Columbia affiliates who need to consult an item in the Classics collection should contact the Curator by email at avery-classics@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.
 All readers are required to present traceable photo identification cards, to be 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.
Materials from the collection may not be photocopied or scanned.
At the discretion of the Avery Curator of Rare Books, readers may photograph items for personal reference. The use of tripods and flash is prohibited. Readers must cease photography at any moment if requested.
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.
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