About Butler Library

Butler Library houses 2 million volumes which comprise the University's collections in the humanities, with particular strengths in history (including government documents and social science materials published before 1974), literature, philosophy and religion, as well as one of the country's most extensive collections of materials pertinent to the study of Greco-Roman antiquity. The stacks consist of 12 floors of books and the entrance is at the third floor Circulation Desk. More Information About Butler Library's History and Collections

Butler Library Departments

• Circulation Department

  (854-2235; 854-3537)
  Check out books located in the stacks at the third floor Circulation Desk. If your book is not on the shelf, the circulation staff can help you determine if the item is already checked out. They can also place a hold or recall on the item, or search for a missing book.
  
  

• Reference Department

  (301 Butler Library, 854-2241)
  The reference collection houses the main card catalog for CUL (including a separate serials catalog). While subject bibliographies constitute the backbone of the collection, other notable strengths are an impressive number of current directories, guides, handbooks, a wide range of language dictionaries, periodical indexes from all over the world, and a particularly strong collection of biographical dictionaries. The reference collection also boasts many new CD-ROM products which provide computer access to several periodical indexes, abstracts, and large reference works.
  
  

• Card Catalogs

  (310 Butler)
  These catalogs are the central catalogs for the Columbia University Libraries. They indicate the location of most materials cataloged before 1986 in departmental libraries as well as in the stacks. There are eight CLIO Plus terminals for public use in the reference area, and an additional 12 CLIO terminals opposite the Butler Circulation Desk.
  
  

• Periodicals Reading Room (PRR)

  (401 Butler Library, 854-4704)
  This collection contains unbound issues of approximately 2,000 periodicals, covering the fields of classics; literature, language and linguistics; history; philosophy; and religion. It includes some journals of a more general and popular nature as well. Issues are arranged alphabetically by title on shelves in the Reading Room. Periodicals are for room use only, and a photocopier is available.
  
  

• Microform Reading Room (MRR)

  (401 Butler Library, 854-4704)
  The Microform Reading Room supports the collections of the Humanities and History Division, and houses approximately half of the libraries' microform collection. MRR maintains a current collection of newspapers, academic journals, popular magazines, doctoral dissertations, masters' essays, indexes, bibliographies, government publications, monographs and monographic series. The microform collection does not circulate but material may be photocopied or scanned on the reader printers.