Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We welcome serious researchers, regardless of affiliation, to view our collection of primary source materials for the study of architecture. When you set up an appointment, we will ask if you have a Columbia University ID. If you don't, we will authorize a temporary Columbia University Libraries Reader's Card for you to pick up at the Library Information Office in Butler Library. This temporary pass will also allow you to access the books and periodicals in Avery Library for that day.

2. Do I need an appointment?

Yes. We ask that all readers make appointments at least several days in advance. This is especially important if you must make travel plans to visit the archives. We are able to accommodate walk-in visitors only on a limited basis.

These guidelines are important since many items in the collection are large and the space in our Reading Room accomodates only a few patrons at a time. We also need to know in advance what materials to have ready for your appointment in order for us to maintain an efficient operation for our readers, especially since some of our collections are stored off-site.

3. How do I make an appointment?

Please call (212) 854-4110 or send an email to
avery-drawings@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.

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4. What should I bring with me?

You must show a Columbia University ID card or CUL Reader's Card to enter Avery Library. If you are not a Columbia affiliate, please see question 1.

You should also bring pencils (no pens) and notepaper. You may bring a laptop and a digital or film camera (no flash and no tripod--see question 22). We provide power outlets, Ethernet ports, and wireless Internet access. Outerwear, backpacks, purses, bags, and other large items must be stored in our cubby storage while you are using the collections.

5. When are you open?

We are open from 9:30am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and from 2 to 5pm on Wednesdays.

Please note that we are closed from 1 to 2pm everyday; and from 9:30am to 2pm on Wednesdays.

See our Hours Calendar.

6. Where are you located?

The Department of Drawings & Archives is in the Wallach Study Center for Art & Architecture on the 200-level of Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. Check the Interactive Map of Morningside Campus and Walking Instructions to Avery Library for more guidance.

7. Are all of your collections located on-site?

No. The majority of our collections is currently housed at Avery Library, but a portion of our 20th-century materials is held in Columbia's ReCAP facility in New Jersey. Readers will be notified of off-site holdings through our collections list and the detailed guide for each collection. Drawings & Archives staff will arrange for off-site material to be delivered to the department in time for appointments.

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8. What does "in process" mean on your collections list? May I still see that collection?

"In Process" indicates that a collection is not yet properly inventoried. In some cases, readers may use portions of the collection. Please check with Drawings & Archives staff for information about the status and availability of these collections. Look for “In Process” notes in our collections list.

9. May I borrow items to view in another part of the library or to consult at home?

No. Our collections are irreplaceable and often fragile and may only be consulted in the Drawings & Archives' Reading Room.

10. How much of your collection is digitized?

Only a few collections have been digitized at this time. We are adding sample digital images from many of our collections to individual collection overview pages linked from the collections list on our website. Given the quantity and sizes of materials in our collections, it's not practical for us to digitize everything.

11. What is your mailing address?

Dept. of Drawings & Archives
Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library
Columbia University
1172 Amsterdam Avenue, MC 0301
New York, NY 10027

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Collection scope, finding aids, and research guides

12. What kinds of materials do you collect?

The bulk of our collection represents 19th- and 20th- century American architecture, particularly of New York and the surrounding region. Most of the collections represent firms no longer in active practice. We hold a diverse range of original and reprographic drawings, photographic materials, project and building files, business papers, correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, and faculty and personal papers. With a few exceptions, we do not collect building models, fragments, or material samples.

13. How do I know if you have what I'm looking for?

A good place to start is by browsing our Drawings & Archives collections list. This list includes names of nearly all of our collections, generally titled by architect or firm name, with an indication of how each collection may be searched. Many of our major holdings have collection- and project-level records in CLIO, Columbia Libraries' Online Catalog. Researchers are advised to search CLIO by building and/or architect name(s) for the best results. This is especially important if you don't see the name you're researching on our collections list; we may indeed have materials by or about that architect or firm, but held within another collection. For more information on searching CLIO, see also question 15. Please send an email to avery-drawings@libraries.cul.columbia.edu if you need further assistance.

14. If I give you an address, can you tell me if you have drawings for the building?

Occasionally we can. If an address is listed on a drawing, it will be noted in our collection inventories and finding aids. However, many drawings do not include these details. Our collections are arranged by architect and project records are sub-divided by city and state, but we do not have a cross-collection index by address.

We will best be able to help you if you know the original architect and client for the project that you are researching. Our collections list provides a comprehensive overview of our holdings, with the most current information available online. For additional guidance on conducting architectural and archival research, please see question 18.

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15. Is a call number from CLIO enough information for you to retrieve a project?

No. What’s listed in CLIO as a “call number” is actually the beginning of the accession number for a collection. For example, a designation of “1972.001” means only that the record describes material from the first accession of 1972.

We will most easily be able to help you when you know the collection name and titles of the specific materials you’re interested in. CLIO has both collection-level and project-level records; click on the center "Full View" tab in CLIO to see the most complete information available. For project records, the "Full View" in CLIO may include item-level descriptions and accession numbers of individual drawings, as in this example.

16. Do you have drawings for/by/from…

...Columbia University buildings?
Yes, but most of our drawings are for the Morningside Heights campus. See our collections list.

...McKim, Mead & White?
Yes, we do have a small collection. See our collections list.

...Carrère & Hastings?
Yes, we do have a small grouping of materials. See our collections list. However, most of the papers from the office of Carrère and Hastings were lost when the firm closed in 1929.

...the Empire State Building?
Yes, we have a large group of ESB materials and many of the photographs from the collection have been digitized. See our collections list.

...Frank Lloyd Wright?
Yes, but primarily for Fallingwater. See our collections list.

...Le Corbusier?
Yes, but only a very small grouping. See our collections list.

...Olmsted Bros. or other landscape architects?
Yes, when associated with architectural work. Drawings for landscapes are sometimes included in the files of drawings for the built aspects of a specific project. We do not separate landscape drawings from architectural collections, so you will find these materials listed with the drawings and papers of the architect associated with the project on which the landscape architect worked.

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17. Do you offer research services?

We can answer general inquiries about the holdings of this department over the phone or via email. However, we have a small staff and time does not permit us to provide in-depth or extensive research.

18. Where else can I find the research material I need?

Be sure to check our collections list for “See also” references to find specifically-related archival materials in collections at Columbia. Additionally, our CLIO records for catalogued collections include added names and subjects, so be sure to do a thorough search in CLIO for your desired name or term. Also look for "Related Holdings in Other Institutions" links on the collections list.

We also list many other significant architectural archives and general related resources on our Architectural Archives: Other Resources page.

19. Is it possible that no archive exists for particular architect or firm?

Unfortunately, yes. Architectural records may have been lost for a number of reasons. Institutions began collecting architectural drawings in earnest only in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Before then, individual original renderings were more highly prized than groups of printed working drawings and other project materials, which may have been discarded if there was no successor firm or family to maintain an office archive. Fires, floods, office moves, damp basements, and career changes have also claimed millions of records.

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Reprography

20. What are the guidelines if I want to publish items from Avery?

You must request permission to publish an image of any item in our collection, and a fee may be involved. For more detailed information and instructions, see Columbia University Libraries Publication and Digital Reproduction Policy and Procedures. We strongly recommend that you obtain necessary permissions before ordering reprography for publication from the Department of Drawings & Archives. Please note that permission fees do not include reprographic fees.

21. How can I get copies of material from Avery?

There are three options:

a. Print photographs or digital files may be ordered; please refer to Avery's Photographic Services and Fees.

b. Photocopies of loose manuscript material and some types of photographs may be ordered through Drawings & Archives' Reading Room staff at a cost of 20 cents a page and $14.00 an hour for labor.

c. Additional reprographic options may be available for architects and building owners seeking copies of drawings to use for historic preservation.

Please note: Reprographic charges do not include permisson fees. All images ordered through the Department of Drawings & Archives may be used for study purposes only and may not be used for publication without permission from Avery Library. See Columbia University Libraries Publication and Digital Reproduction Policy and Procedures.

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22. May I bring a camera?

Yes. You are welcome to bring your own film or digital camera. Permission to photograph items must be obtained from Drawings & Archives staff as items in the collection may be photographed only if their condition permits. Tripods and use of flash are not allowed. These images may be used for study purposes only and must not be used for publication. See Columbia University Libraries Publication and Digital Reproduction Policy and Procedures

23. May I bring a portable scanner?

No. Portable scanners and similar devices may damage archival material.

Donations

24. Do you accept donations to the Department of Drawings & Archives?

Yes. Many of our collections have arrived as donations from architectural firms and from individual architects and their family members. We also appreciate hearing from researchers who, during the course of their work, have located privately-held archives that might be available for donation. Because our collection covers a broad range of firms and subjects, we hope that anyone with questions about donations will email an inquiry to avery-drawings@libraries.cul.columbia.edu.

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Avery Library

Address:
300 Avery
Columbia University
1172 Amsterdam Avenue
MC0301
New York, NY 10027

Telephone:
(212) 854-3501

Email:
avery@libraries.cul.columbia.edu

About	Floorplan
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Drawings & Archives Dept.

Telephone:
(212) 854-4110

Email:
avery-drawings
@libraries.cul.columbia.edu

Avery's New York Atlases

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