A major component of the Historic Preservation program at Columbia University involves investigation of neighborhoods and buildings here in our city. For this reason, we have created a very thorough guide entitled: New York City Buildings: Research Guide. When beginning your research on an assigned building or neighborhood, we highly recommend that you begin here.

This guide explains the use of all the standard materials for investigating buildings and neighborhoods in New York (e.g.: Sanborn maps/Land books, Landmarks Preservation Committee reports, drawings and archives at Avery Library and the New-York Historical Society, records in the Municipal Archives and the Buildings Department, the historical New York Times, etc.) providing Web links where available, citations to hard copy here at Avery, as well as citations or links to numerous additional resources. Included are links to two other important NYC research guides that detail other sources of information.