The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

The Burke Library is one of the largest theological libraries in North America, with holdings of more than 700,000 items, including extensive special collections. Throughout its long history, the Library has maintained its commitment to the needs of both teaching and research, serving not only the faculty, staff, and students of Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, but also a wide spectrum of national and international scholars and researchers.

Services & Tools

Access library services to support your research and studies

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Collections

Explore new and featured collections related to this library

Special Collections can be accessed by appointment.

The Burke Library preserves and provides access to archives, rare books, and other unique materials related to research in the field of theology and contextually related areas of study. Reach out to burkespecial@library.columbia.edu with any questions about these collections.

Events, Exhibits, & Workshops

Library staff can customize workshops and events for your classroom or group.

Study Spaces

Use library spaces to study, meet, and create

The Burke is generally a quiet library.
Small group study welcome on L1 and L2 at low volume.
Reading Room on L3 is a quiet space for individual study only (no talking).
Special Collections are accessible by appointment.
Headphones required when listening to audio content in all spaces.
Drinks in sealed containers are allowed.
No food in any spaces.
No study carrels or private rooms, no seat reservation.
No phone or video conferencing.

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News

View news and announcements from The Burke Library

The Burke Library recently hosted “Aurality and Devotion in the Pre-Modern World,” a multi-disciplinary project on Jewish, Christian, and Islamic devotional song that brought together leading scholars from the U.S. and Europe to share and discuss their research.

A grandfather's diary: The staff of the Burke Library share the papers of Christian missionary and Union Theological Seminary alum Darley Downs with his grandson and great-grandson to explore their family legacy.

The Burke Library partnered with the Department of History to host the inaugural "History Happy Hour," facilitated by professors Julie Lillis and Simran Jeet Singh and intended to create a space for in-person and online participants to engage with a given subject matter.

The Burke Library, in partnership with the Center for Earth Ethics, recently hosted a book launch to celebrate the publication of "Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope" by Catherine Coleman Flowers.

Bibliographic Assistant at the Burke Library Brandon Harrington, also a student at the Queens College Graduate School of Library and Information Science, details a two-week intensive in bookbinding and letterpress printing at the Center for Book Arts.

The staff of the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary collaborated with the Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life (IRCPL) to host a panel discussion on the role of water in religion and spiritual life in South Asia.

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Burke Library Staff