Avery Drawings & Archives
Avery Library’s Drawings & Archives department collects drawings, photographs, and architectural records documenting architecture and design practices and also include project and building files, business records, correspondence, and faculty and personal papers.
Our collections focus largely on American and New York City architecture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
PLAN AHEAD: Reading room appointments must be booked at least 7 days in advance. Bookings are first-come, first served and we cannot guarantee the availability of preferred dates/times. It is recommended to reach out a month in advance of your preferred date.
You must create a Special Collections Research Account to request to see materials in the Avery Drawings & Archives Reading Room. You will need to provide a current address, email, telephone number, and other contact information. Upon your first visit, you will need to validate your account in-person with a government issued photo identification or a Columbia ID.
- Identify research materials using Columbia's Archives Portal
- Conduct a keyword search across all Avery collections or search within individual collections at Avery Drawings & Archives.
- Click the blue "Request" shopping cart button next to the files you wish to review.
- Add files to your "cart."
- After selecting all relevant materials you wish to consult, click the shopping cart icon in the upper right corner of the webpage to proceed to "checkout."
- Submit your request by clicking the bottom of your "Request Cart" Summary.
- If prompted, sign into your special collection research account.
- Finalize your request on the "Checkout" page by pressing the Request button at the end of your list.
If you are unsure what materials to consult, please email the department with the name of the project or topic you are researching and staff will direct you to appropriate resources.
Appointment hours are Tuesday to Friday from 1 PM to 4 PM.
Upon submitting your request for materials (described above), you will receive an email from the department within 2-3 business days confirming your request and currently available appointment times. We will work with you over email to schedule your appointment(s).
Due to space considerations and safety of the materials, we typically limit requests to no more than:
- 8 boxes per day, or 5 boxes of off-site material; or
- 5 folders of drawings; or
- 5 rolls or tube boxes
If your material request exceeds these limits, you may need to book multiple appointments. Limits for combinations of these materials will be at the discretion of D&A staff.
PLAN AHEAD: Reading room appointments must be booked at least 7 days in advance. Bookings are first-come, first served and we cannot guarantee the availability of preferred dates/times. It is recommended to reach out a month in advance of your preferred date.
Appointments are confirmed once the selection of materials has been approved. Appointments are for one researcher at a time only.
Getting Started
- Lockers: Personal belongings are not permitted in the reading room. We provide lockers to securely store your belongings (such as coats, rain gear, purses, briefcases, computer cases, camera bags, parcels, envelopes, and portfolio folders). Staff will assign a locker and key in exchange for a valid photo identification card (passport, driver’s license, or student id card). Photo ID cards are held while material is in use.
- Equipment: Only laptop computers (without cases), and phones/cameras are permitted in the reading room. If you wish to take notes during your visit, you may borrow a notepad and pencil from the reading room attendant and present your sheets before leaving.
- Food and drink—including water bottles—are strictly prohibited. A water fountain is located by the restrooms in the Wallach Study Center.
- Please wash your hands before handling material.
Use of Material
- Please follow the instructions of reading room staff regarding the handling of materials.
- Please handle materials carefully and keep all archival materials in their original order. Use only one box and one folder at any time.
- Make no marks on the materials. Do not write notes on top of materials or rest other objects on the surface of items used. Do not lean on materials. Tracing is not permitted.
- Do not flatten or smooth creases. Leave all materials flat on the table, do not turn drawings or mounted photographs over or hold them up in the air. Use provided cloth weights to help to unfold material.
- Gloves are provided when handling photographs, film, slides, or metal objects.
Study Images
- Patrons may take reference photographs of collection materials for study purposes only. These images can not be used for publication.
- Tripods, flash, and personal scanners are not permitted.
- Due to limited staff resources, we are unable to provide scanning services for remote study. We can provide contact information for a researcher-for-hire. Please also see the information about Avery's Digital Imaging Services here.
Copyright
It is the responsibility of the user to secure permission from the appropriate copyright holder.
In most cases, Avery Library owns only the physical object and does not assume responsibility for intellectual property, copyright, or other legal issues involved in the publication and reproduction of items from its collections. Click here for information on rights and reproductions.
Citing our Collections
In citing our collections, please use the following credit lines:
General citation:
[Description of item], [Box and Folder], [Collection name], Drawings and Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University.
Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives citation:
[Description of item], [Item number], Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Archives (The Museum of Modern Art | Avery Architectural & Fine Arts Library, Columbia University).
Faculty from Columbia University, Barnard College, and outside institutions are welcome to request class visits, archival instruction (in-person or virtual), and tours. Please contact us as early as possible (at least 2-3 weeks before the beginning of the semester) to discuss options and scheduling.
Our collections are arranged by creator, usually an architect or firm. These are also searchable in CLIO.
Please review our Classes & Tours Overview and Guidelines before contacting us to arrange a class visit.
Avery's collections are often requested for exhibitions. For general information on borrowing collection materials from Columbia University Libraries, please review Guidelines for Borrowing Materials for Exhibition. For Avery-specific details and information, visit the Exhibition Loans & Digital Imaging page and send additional questions to avery-drawings@columbia.edu.
Avery's Digital Imaging Services creates high-resolution image files from our collections for purposes of supporting teaching, research, and scholarship based on feasibility of the request and safety of materials.
To start a digital imaging order, researchers must identify the item. We require a description of the item, its physical location within our collections (box/folder/drawing number), and a reference image.
Please note that photography may not be available or possible due to the physical condition of objects. Photographic and/or reproduction fees may be charged for an image request.