News

Jun 15, 2026

In the media

Elfquest creators Richard and Wendy Pini, who donated $500,000 to establish the Wendy and Richard Pini Comics and Cartoon Endowment at the Libraries, receive the 2026 Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award, awarded by Comic-Con to "people in comics and the popular arts who have worked to help others."

Jun 1, 2026

In the media, Video

Columbia University's Revolutionary War history told in a diploma: University archivist Jocelyn Wilk shares a recent acquisition in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library - a 1775 diploma from King's College, the predecessor to Columbia.

Jun 1, 2026

In the media

As the United States marks its semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, Columbia News reflects on the story of a University that began before the nation itself. Discover archival treasures in the Libraries that help readers explore the past through rare documents and collections.

May 26, 2026

In the media

What 1976 reveals about 1776 (and 2026): The American Bicentennial at Columbia, revisited. Columbia News reports on a new exhibition in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library that explores how the University marked the United States’ 200th birthday in 1976.

May 1, 2026

In the media

Rare Book Librarian Jane Siegel introduces "the six young women hired by Melvil Dewey in 1883 to work at Columbia College library [who] captured the imagination of 20th-century library historians as groundbreaking fore-mothers of female employment and/or the beginnings of low-paid exploitation of women in the library workforce."

Apr 25, 2026

In the media

How well do you know the history of Columbia Commencement? From graduation tchotchkes to special speakers, Columbia News consults the Libraries' University Archives to test readers' knowledge of one of Columbia's most cherished traditions.

Apr 16, 2026

In the media

The Society of American Archivists (SAA) "presents 250 for the 250th, an online repository that tells the story of our country in documents," including a 1776 register of admissions from the University Archives that "explains why there were no admissions at King’s College for the year 1776."

Mar 16, 2026

In the media

To mark 250 years of American independence, Columbia News brings together the many ways in which the University engages with this national legacy, including archival treasures in the Libraries that explore the past through rare documents and collections.

Mar 9, 2026

In the media

Lessons of Jewish history: Columbia Magazine consults Librarian for Jewish Studies Michelle Margolis on the 75th anniversary of the Institute of Israel and Jewish Studies (IIJS) about its role in connecting the Columbia community to the currents of Jewish thought.

Feb 17, 2026

In the media

Accessible through the Libraries' Oral History Archives, "a new set of oral history interviews documents how Barack Obama and his advisers missed the shifting mood of the country that would ultimately replace him with a successor they considered a 'con man,' 'clown' and 'laughingstock,'" reports the New York Times.

Feb 17, 2026

In the media

Columbia News announces that the "complete Obama presidency oral history archive is now available: Columbia University’s Incite Institute offers more than 450 perspectives from the Obama White House and beyond," which will be accessible to researchers through the Oral History Archives.

Feb 16, 2026

In the media

"Presidents' days: From Obama to Trump": The New Yorker writes that the official oral history of the Obama White House, accessible through the Libraries' Oral History Archives, "is a stark and extensive reminder of the values and the principles that are being trampled."

Jan 6, 2026

In the media

LISTEN: Librarian for Jewish Studies Michelle Margolis was featured in a four-part miniseries on the Seforim Chatter podcast about the history of the early Jewish printed book.

News Archive

Libraries News for years earlier than 2016 is available here:

News

2026 Clampett Humanitarian Award Goes to Richard and Wendy Pini

Columbia University's Revolutionary War History Told in a Diploma | Columbia Close-Up

The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University

What 1976 Reveals About 1776 (and 2026): The American Bicentennial at Columbia, Revisited

The Wellesley Half-Dozen

How Well Do You Know the History of Columbia’s Commencement?

SAA 250 for the 250th: 1776 Register of Admissions | University Archives

The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University

Lessons of Jewish History

Obama Took On Recession, Health Care and Iraq. What He Didn’t See Coming Was Trump.

Complete Obama Presidency Oral History Archive Is Now Available

Presidents' Days: From Obama to Trump

Early Jewish Printed Book Podcast (Margolis)

News Archive

News

Subscribe to the Libraries' Monthly Newsletter.

2026 Clampett Humanitarian Award Goes to Richard and Wendy Pini

Columbia University's Revolutionary War History Told in a Diploma | Columbia Close-Up

The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University

What 1976 Reveals About 1776 (and 2026): The American Bicentennial at Columbia, Revisited

The Wellesley Half-Dozen

How Well Do You Know the History of Columbia’s Commencement?

SAA 250 for the 250th: 1776 Register of Admissions | University Archives

The U.S. Semiquincentennial and Columbia University

Lessons of Jewish History

Obama Took On Recession, Health Care and Iraq. What He Didn’t See Coming Was Trump.

Complete Obama Presidency Oral History Archive Is Now Available

Presidents' Days: From Obama to Trump

Early Jewish Printed Book Podcast (Margolis)

News Archive