Welcome to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library
The collections of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library are available for use in our reading rooms for members of the Columbia community, scholars, and other qualified researchers who require the use of primary sources to complete their scholarly or publication projects. Undergraduate students who are not enrolled at Columbia or Barnard should bring a letter of introduction from a faculty member stating their research project, and consult with RBML reference staff before their visit.
Collections Stored Offsite
Because of space constraints, many collections are stored offsite (click to browse the list of offsite collections), and require advance notice for retrieval. Please call or e-mail the Library for an appointment at least one week in advance of your planned visit. Please use our Off-Site Request Form to request material prior to your research visit.
In order to facilitate speedy and efficient access to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library Collections, please contact us as far in advance as possible. Many collections require one week's advance notice for access
Registration Procedures
Readers are asked to register at the RBML reference desk when they visit the library. Librarians at the RBML reference center will be happy to answer questions or assist you with registration procedures and the use of the collections.
If you do not have a Columbia identification card, please register first in the Library Information Office (LIO), located immediately to the left of the guard station inside the front door of Butler Library. Please bring government or institutional-issued photographic identification, tell LIO that you are coming to use the Rare Book and Manuscript Library collections, and give them an estimate of the number of days you plan to use the library. The Library Information Office will then issue you a temporary readers card.
Using the Collections
Readers using the collections will be asked to sign in each day at the RBML reference center and to follow our reading room policies and procedures designed to protect the materials. For your convenience, RBML provides a locker room for the use by our readers (Butler, Room 608) located just outside the entrance to our facilities.
After consulting the online catalog and finding aids, card catalogs, in-house finding aids, or other catalogs, readers may submit call slips to the reference desk. Material may be placed on personal reserve for limited amount of time.
In order to preserve the unique manuscript materials, we ask our readers to use documents on microfilm whenever available, rather than access the original manuscript. The RBML maintains a database of available microfilms. Most of these microfilms can also be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Please contact the RBML reference staff for additional information.
Classes
Faculty from Columbia and Barnard, or other educational institutions are welcome to bring seminars or classes to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library to make use of materials appropriate to their subject matter. They are also encouraged to participate in our exhibition programs. RBML has a class room that can hold up to 25 people, scheduled through RBML, that is available during our regular opening hours. Arrangements can be made for larger classes elsewhere in Butler. For more information, please contact Jennifer B. Lee, Librarian for Public Services and Programs, jbl100@columbia.edu, or 212-854-4048.
Reprographic Services
All reprographic orders for RBML materials should be placed through the RBML reference center.
- Photocopy services
- Microfilm and Microfiche
- Digital photography and flatbed scanning
- Film-based Photography
We maintain a database of photographic negatives available at the RBML. If you are interested in viewing or ordering a copy of these images, please contact the RBML reference staff.
Publication Policy and Copyright
Please be advised that the photographic and digital reproductions are intended for personal or scholarly use. Patrons are responsible for all copyright and permissions matters. See Columbia University Libraries Publication and Digital Reproduction Policy and Procedures for more information. For major collections held by RBML, we maintain a list of copyright holders and contact names and addresses.
Researchers who wish to quote from RBML materials should contact the Director of the Rare Book and Manuscript Library in writing. The bibliographic information for the material to be cited must be included in the request.
For additional information on copyright issues you may want to consult the WATCH File - a database containing the names and addresses of copyright holders or contact persons for authors and artists whose archives are housed, in whole or in part, in libraries and archives in North America and the United Kingdom. WATCH is a joint project of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Reading Library, Reading, England.
