University Archives
The University Archives preserves the institutional memory of Columbia University through the acquisition of official University records and related historical collections and materials from its founding in 1754 to the present day.
PLAN AHEAD: RBML reading rooms are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm by advance appointment. Reading room appointments must be booked at least 7 days in advance and up to 90 days in advance.
Appointments are are first-come, first served and we cannot guarantee the availability of preferred dates/times.
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We invite all users to access our digital collections, request reproductions, or contact us for alternatives to in-person visits.
Mission Statement:
It is the responsibility of the University Archives to preserve the institutional memory of Columbia University from its founding in 1754 to the present-day. The Archives aims to identify, appraise, collect, describe, preserve and, where appropriate, make available to administrators, researchers, and the general public University records which document the evolution of the University in all its variety including its contributions to teaching and research; the development of schools, academic departments and programs, institutes, and administrative units; campus life; public service; and the University’s role in the history of the metropolitan, national, and international communities.
Joanna M. Rios
Records Manager
- Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Jocelyn K. Wilk
University Archivist
- Rare Book & Manuscript Library
1784: Columbia College en Français?
Days after the Regents of the former King's College decreed that the school would be known as Columbia College, the committee made its first faculty appointment: a professor of the French language. University archivists address why a French instructor was the very first professor at Columbia.
1776: Battle of Harlem Heights
The once-disputed location of the 1776 Battle of Harlem Heights, a "much-needed morale boost" for the Continental Army in the American Revolution, was confirmed to have taken place in present-day Morningside Heights through the meticulous work of Columbia College alum Lincoln Diamant, 1943CC.