Searching Archival & Special Collections

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There are two main catalogs for finding books and printed materials in RBML:

  • CLIO, the Columbia University Libraries online catalog, contains records for approximately 80% of the ca. 450,000 cataloged volumes in RBML’s rare book collections.
  • The RBML card catalog contains locally-made records for many of the books that are not yet cataloged, as well as additional name and subject entries for some titles.

Researchers are advised to use both CLIO and the card catalogs when searching for RBML materials. Many of the titles not included in CLIO can be found in the National Union Catalog, Pre-1956 Imprints (London: Mansell, 1968-1981).

Cataloged Book Collections - an overview of more than 30 book collections at RBML

Uncataloged Book Collections - our largest collections not represented in either of the main catalogs.

There are also specialized card catalogs, indexes and files available in the RBML reference desk covering specific genres, collections or subjects, a chronological card file of pre-1875 imprints, and a file of books by selected printers and illustrators.

For additional help, contact rbml@columbia.edu.

 

A codex manuscript is a written (not printed) work bound as a book. RBML’s codex manuscript collections include Western manuscripts in collections distinguished by subject, and non-Western works in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Sanskrit, and other languages.

All the medieval and Renaissance manuscript holdings of this library, as well as those of other Columbia libraries (Barnard, Law, Music, Teachers College) have short descriptions and images on the Digital Scriptorium website.

Cards for post-1600 Western codex manuscripts are filed in the manuscript/document card file in the RBML reference area under author. There is also a shelf list card file for individual collections. For General Manuscripts, there is a binder at the reference desk with indexes by date and by language. See Codex Manuscript Details for a list of collections and languages we hold.

For additional help, contact rbml@columbia.edu.

 

Cuneiform

The oldest documents held by RBML are over 500 cuneiform tablets, ranging in date from 2300 B.C.E.  to 300 B.C.E., from the Sumerian, Old-Babylonian, Kassite, and Neo-Babylonian Periods. There are also a few cylinder seals.

Some 455 of the tablets were purchased for Columbia College in 1895. Sixteen tablets were given by Professor David Eugene Smith and 34 by George Arthur Plimpton as part of their libraries. Plimpton's gift included Plimpton 322, possibly the most famous mathematical tablet in the world.  There have been a few gifts of tablets since.

Consult the following catalogs, available at the RBML Reference Desk:

  • Stephen Garfinkle, Herbert Sauren, and Marc Van de Mieroop, Ur III tablets from the Columbia University Libraries (Bethesda, Md.: CDL Press, 2010) Cornell University studies in Assyriology and Sumerology; v. 16. This publication lists 318 tablets.
  • Isaac Mendelsohn, Catalogue of the Babylonian Tablets in the Libraries of Columbia University: A list of Cuneiform Documents from the Sumerian, Old-Babylonian, Kassite, and Neo-Babylonian Periods, with Photographic Reproductions of Selected Seals, and Clay Objects (New York: Columbia University Libraries, 1943). Includes 111 tablets not also found in Garfinkle.

Epigraphy

RBML has a group of about 130 samples of Latin inscriptions inscised in stone and lead, with just a few Greek items. These date largely from the first two centuries C.E. and come mostly from Rome.

A set of photographs of the epigraphic specimens are found in three binders at the RBML reference desk, please consult a librarian. 

The epigraphy collection, a collection of ancient coins, and a collection of Latin inscriptions on bronze, lead, and stamped terracotta now held by the Art Properties Department were bequeathed to the University in 1912 by Professor George N. Olcott.

For more information, and a short list of the inscriptions, see John Bodel and Stephen Tracy’s "Greek and Latin inscriptions in the USA: a checklist" (Rome, The American Academy, 1997).

RBML also holds a collection of squeezes (molded copies of epigraphy). A photocopy of the old handwritten catalog for this collection is also found at the reference desk.

A core resource in locating research material in the RBML is the finding aid. Simply put, a finding aid is a descriptive document created to help patrons find research material. Types of finding aids include file lists, inventories, container and folder lists, card catalogs, databases, published guides—virtually anything that allows one access to large amounts of material.

  • All collections can be found in CLIO, the Columbia University Libraries online catalogue. For tips on finding archival material through CLIO see the Archives and Manuscripts Help Page.
  • Finding aids for many collections are accessible via the Archival Collections Portal. Patrons can search across all repositories and collections held in the Columbia University Libraries. 
  • Our collections may also be searched via a more advanced search function is available through the Empire ADC cooperative, which may yield more refined search results than our Archival collections Portal.

Interviews in our collections follow the "life history" model, meaning that narrators may reflect on their life beyond the stated research topic or collection title. For example, the topic of civil rights might arise in the course of an interview without being the interview’s central topic.

To view available materials reformatted from analog-to-digital, please see our Digital Library Collection (DLC).

Oral History materials can be found in CLIO by narrowing your search to
Library Location: Oral History Center.

Some interviews are restricted to on-campus use or with a Columbia University log-in due to legal and/or ethical restrictions regarding online publication. This can vary by collection and also by individual interview. The Libraries cannot provide temporary access to restricted materials.

Records for the ostraca and papyri are accessible through papyri.info. Some images are available; imaging is ongoing.

Tips for searching on papyri.info:

Search by P.Col. numbers:

  1. Navigate to the Search
  2. Under Series, select DDDP P.Col. or HGV p.col;
  3. Type the volume number in the volume box
  4. Type the item number in the ID box
  5. Click search

The brief result will appear in the right panel; click on it and you get the full record. 

Note: the canonical URL is displayed on the full item display page, e.g., http://papyri.info/ddbdp/p.col;3;8 * .You can bookmark it if you want and then follow the pattern for other P.Col. items


Search Col. inv. and O.Col. inv items:
You need to use a string search against the metadata, rather than a Series search, as follows:

  1. Select Collection: "columbia (5758)" rather than using Series
  2. In the search box at the top, now called "Refine Search", enter the inv number, e.g., "O. Col. inv. 10" or "Col.inv. 444" (no "P." in front for inv. numbers)
  3. Select a Metadata search rather than a Text search in the radio buttons
  4. Click search up at the top

Note: if you do more than one search, the form reverts to Text search, and you have to select the Metadata button again.

Search phrases like "Homer" or "wrestling":
This works like the the Inv. items.

  1. Select Collection: "columbia (5758)" rather than using Series
  2. In the search box at the top, now called "Refine Search", enter the word: e.g. Homer
  3. Select a Metadata search rather than a Text search in the radio buttons
  4. Click search up at the top

If you need further assistance, contact RBML staff.

The Columbia University Archives staff has put together some Research Guides to help you take advantage of our holdings. For a full guide on how to find the different collections of Master's Essays and dissertation and information on how to request copies, see the University Archives Research Guide.

If you need help in identifying what materials you need to learn more about the history of Columbia or to find information on a former Columbia student, faculty or staff member, please contact uarchives@columbia.edu.

As part of our commitment to intellectual accessibility, the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML), informs the public of the collections in our custody, even if they are not fully accessible to researchers, and make basic collection-level records available immediately upon accession. We make every effort to give our researchers access to the collections, whenever possible, by doing a quick assessment of what can be seen without processing. An unprocessed collection might be partially or fully closed for research if the materials in question are excessively fragile, impossible to locate due to lack of arrangement within the collection, or contain sensitive information.

Collections that are unprocessed have a restriction note in CLIO that states,"Material is unprocessed. Please contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information." If the collection has been previously requested and evaluated for access by an archivist, the outcome of that review will be reflected there as well.

 

How do I request access to an unprocessed collection?

Contact rbml@columbia.edu describing the unprocessed collection you wish to access. An archivist will review the request, and will determine whether the material can be made available in the reading room. You should hear from us within three weeks.

 

What should I expect when visiting RBML to use unprocessed archival materials?

If the collection can be made available, you will need to make an advance appointment. Staff will assist you with placing requests for available materials. Keep in mind that the box numbers and other citation information for the documents in the collection are subject to change during processing.

 

Handling unprocessed archival materials in the Reading Room

  • Because such collections are unprocessed and somewhat fragile, you will be seated at a reading room table close to the manager's desk. This will allow the reading room manager to more easily assist you with any handling issues that may arise, and help to prevent damage to the materials. 
  • Take extra care when handling materials from unprocessed collections. If you see something that you feel unsure about handling, either because of its condition or its format, do not hesitate to ask for assistance.
  • All researchers are required to use gloves when handling photographs that are not encased in polyester sleeves. Gloves are available in the reading room for researchers to use.
  • We cannot provide access to original time-based media material which has not first been reformatted for preservation. Researchers are welcome to examine archival time-based media items and decide whether they wish to place an order for Audio/Video reformatting. If copyright and/or condition restrictions apply, it may not be possible to digitize a requested item. Please note that A/V reformatting is handled by an outside vendor and typically takes 6 to 8 weeks.
  • As when handling any other archival collection, please remove only one folder from a box at a time, and keep all materials in the same order that you found them. An unprocessed collection may not be arranged in any way that makes particular sense, but maintaining it in its current order allows us to more easily ensure that all items are accounted for when the collection is processed.
  • Archives and manuscripts often contain sensitive or Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This may include, but is not limited to, medical records, social security numbers, student records, personnel records, financial records, privileged communications, and other information of a highly personal nature. We make every effort to identify private or identifying material and remove or redact this information as well. 
    To foster and encourage ethical research practices and good judgment, we would ask you to notify library staff if you have concerns about PII encountered in the course of your research.

Archival materials may be requested to view by appointment only in the owning library. To place and manage your special collections requests and appointments, create a Special Collections Research Account.

The process for requesting materials varies for different libraries and collections. Learn more about requesting materials from individual special collections:

 

If you would like to hire a Columbia graduate student to assist you in your research, contact the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Career Development to post a short-term research position.

Need help? Email of our special collections locations:

Columbia University Libraries
535 West 114th St. New York, NY 10027
Phone
212-854-7309
Contact Us
lio@columbia.edu
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