About the Lehman Library

The Lehman Social Sciences Library holds a contemporary collection of more than 250,000 volumes. It includes materials acquired by Columbia libraries since 1974 in political science, sociology, social and cultural anthropology, journalism as well as a rich collection of materials on post-World-War-II international relations. It houses essays produced by Columbia students in the Graduate Schools of Journalism. Lehman Library also houses the following collections:

  • U.S. Government Documents (housed off-site)
    The Columbia University Libraries currently receives approximately 50 percent of the items available through the United States Federal Depository Library Program. Print materials are processed for off-site storage, but most titles are available online via CLIO.
  • New York State Documents
    Lehman Library was a depository for New York State documents from 1983 to 1996. The documents are on microfiche in the Lehman Reference Room, and not cataloged on CLIO. 
  • Map Collection
    The Map Room holds a general map collection covering a wide range of subjects, including geography, geology, economics, and international affairs. The collection houses more than 185,000 maps.