a. Print

Avery Library acquires print material on all aspects of the visual arts and art history. Western European and North American monographs, exhibition catalogs, and periodicals are acquired for the collection by Avery librarians. Those published in the rest of the world are acquired by the following Global Studies librarians: African Studies Librarian, Latin American & Iberian Studies Librarian, Middle East & Islamic Studies Librarian, Russian, Eurasian & East European Studies Librarian, and South & Southeast Asian Studies Librarian. The C.V. Starr East Asian Library acquires materials published in vernacular Eastern languages. Avery Library does not collect auction house catalogs, “how-to” guides to producing art, books on typography, advertising, non-Asian calligraphy, slides, and other audio visual materials. However, the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) collects books on typography and calligraphy in their graphic arts and book arts collections (see below).

Areas of long-established specialization in the Department of Art History and Archaeology that Avery Library supports, resulting in historic strengths, are: European Byzantine, medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance art; ancient Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman art and archaeology; nineteenth- and twentieth-century European and American art; African art and archaeology; South Asian art and archaeology; and East Asian art and archaeology. (Collecting in the latter two specializations is shared with the East Asian Library as explained above). In the past quarter century, there has been an increased emphasis on Latin American art and archaeology, modern and contemporary art in all geographic regions, photography, art criticism and theory, and museum and curatorial studies.   

Some subject areas that are shared between Avery Library and other Columbia University Libraries collections include:

Archaeology: Site-specific excavation reports and materials dealing with artifacts and the built environment, i.e. the creative remains of humanity, are acquired by Avery Library. Works on cultural and other historical elements of archaeology are acquired by Butler Library. 

Photography: Avery Library acquires books about photography as an artistic medium, including the history of photography, monographs on photographers, catalogs of exhibitions, etc. Modern imprints on photographic technique are not typically collected. The Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) houses and adds to the Epstean Collection on the history and science of photography, including materials on photographic processes. Many other collections of photographs as artifacts are held by distinctive collections throughout the Libraries. See “Distinctive Collections” below.

Graphic Arts: The graphic arts collection within Avery Library focuses on individual artists, artistic movements, and schools, prints and drawings collection catalogs, and exhibition catalogs.  RBML contains a historically-deep and growing graphic arts collection on the history of books and printing and the allied arts, including calligraphy, typograph, binding, and book illustration and the book arts collection with examples of fine printing, book illustration, and artists' books.  

East Asian: Titles published in vernacular East Asian languages are acquired by and for the C.V. Starr East Asian Library. Titles on East Asian subjects in Roman, Cyrillic, or other scripts are acquired for Avery Library, although some Roman script titles are acquired for the East Asian Library by their own staff.

b. Digital Collections 

Columbia University Libraries offers a robust variety of electronic resources. In the field of art, we strive to offer a full array of available relevant databases, electronic books, and periodicals.  Notable collections include Artifex Press, A&AePortal, Art Sales Catalogues Online, Library Stack.

c. Media

The Butler Media Collection acquires videos, primarily documentaries, about all aspects of the visual arts. The Librarian for Butler Media, Film Studies & Performing Arts is primarily responsible for collecting media.

The Libraries has a significant array of photography collections held in multiple distinctive locations. See “Distinctive Collections” below. 

d. Languages Collected

All languages are collected, except for texts in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan, which are collected in the C.V. Starr East Asian Library.

e. Chronological Focus

All chronological periods are collected.

f. Geographic Focus

All geographic areas are collected. Materials published in North America and Western Europe covering all geographic regions are selected by the Fine Arts Librarian. Materials published in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe, and South and Southeast Asia are selected by subject specialists in those areas and are housed in Avery Library or the Libraries’ shared off-site storage facility (ReCAP). East Asian material in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Tibetan are collected and housed in the C.V. Starr East Asian Library or ReCAP.

g. Imprint Dates Collected

The main focus of current collecting is recent (+/- three years) imprints, with older imprints as needed. When antiquarian acquisitions are offered via gift or purchase, no specific chronological ranges are established in advance: rare or unique materials from any period may be considered.