Columbia University Libraries (CUL) offer a wealth of collections, spaces and services to support your research, study and learning. Each tab in this guide highlights information selected especially for undergraduate students.
Want to know more? Visit our Libraries and Digital Centers online or in person. Or stop by Butler Library or the Monell Engineering Library to meet us. We'd be glad to answer any questions you have.
Q. How do I find out if Columbia has a book, ebook, journal, DVD, etc.?
A. Check the catalog for all 22 of Columbia’s libraries, CLIO.
Q. How do I locate books on the shelf?
A. Find the call number in the library catalog CLIO. Go to the Library Location.
Q. How do I check out library materials?
A. Your Columbia ID is your library card and you check out materials at the library service desk. In the main library, Butler, the service desk is located on the third floor (one flight up from the entrance level).
Q. How long is the loan period for library materials?
A. It varies. Many books circulate for a semester at a time. Items on reserve might only circulate for two hours at a time. Ask when you check it out or see our loan policies.
Q. How do I see what I have checked out or renew library materials?
A. Use CLIO's My Account feature.
Q. What does it mean when the book's location is listed as Offsite?
A. Offsite books are located at an off-campus facility in Princeton, NJ that Columbia operates jointly with Princeton and NYPL. Click the "Request from Offsite" button in the blue sidebar of the CLIO record and submit the form. Materials requested from Offsite are filled within two business days.
Q. What do I do if the book/article I want is checked out or Columbia doesn’t own it?
A. Try these free services
Interlibrary Loan (books and articles)
Q. Can I use the NYU Libraries?
A. Yes. NYU and Columbia have a cooperative agreement that allows reciprocal on-site access.
Q. What are Course Reserves?
A. These are faculty selected library materials: books, chapters, articles, available for short-term loan. They may be print or e-reserves. For more information, see: Course Reserves Help.
Q. How do I find out what my professor has put on reserve for a class?
A. There a couple of ways to find out what is on reserve for your class.
-- From the class CourseWorks page, click on Library Reserves in the sidebar.
-- Use the Course Reserves tab in CLIO and look up your class by instructor name or department.
For more information, see the Course Reserves Help page.
Contact Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT) for general computing help and for help with these specific issues:
