Rare Books & Archives Request Form

Purpose of this form

Please use this web form to request Burke Library Rare Books and/or Archives to view in the library’s third floor reading room. In-person and phone requests are not accepted. Cataloged rare books and manuscripts (found in CLIO) and fully processed archival collections, (which are collections with a finding aid on the Archives page), can be requested for consultation.

For reference assistance, please see the Burke Library Services web page.

Making your request

Please make your request as far in advance as is possible. At least one business day's notice is required for the paging of rare books and archives (e.g., items requested at 2 p.m. on Monday will be available by 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Items requested over the weekend will be available on Tuesday). Up to six items may be requested per appointment. The Rare Books & Archives reading hours are M-F, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Your requests should specify the portion of the day that you plan to consult special collections materials at Burke (e.g., 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.).

Planning your visit

After you submit your request, a staff member will e-mail you to confirm your appointment. Please do not travel to the library until you have received this confirmation. Before your visit, library staff will approve your access to the Burke Library by notifying the Library Information Office (LIO) in Columbia’s Butler Library. In your confirmation e-mail, you will receive instruction for how to obtain a temporary reader's card from the LIO office in Butler Library, which is located five blocks from Burke Library on the main Columbia campus. This card can be obtained on the day of your visit or in advance.

Directions

Directions to the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary (Columbia University) can be found on the Seminary's About Union page. Information about the LIO Office at Butler Library is here. Click here for a map showing Butler Library.

Appointment Request Form

Items marked in bold are required:
Date to consult item on-site (Mon.-Fri.)
Time to consult item (10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.)
Your Name
E-mail Address
Confirm E-mail Address
Address
Telephone Number
Affiliation
Purpose of Request

Item 1
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here:

Item 2
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here:

Item 3
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here:

Item 4
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here:

Item 5
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here:

Item 6
Location and Call Number or Archives Collection Name:
Author or Archive Series Number:
Title or Archives Box Number:
Volume & Copy (if applicable):
Date of Publication (if applicable):
Web link to Archival Finding Aid (required for Archives consultation):
Add additional notes, or paste your whole citation here: