Request Materials & Make an Appointment
Because RBML materials are rare, unique, and usually irreplaceable, they are subject to a higher level of security than other library materials. RBML collections do not circulate and can only be accessed in our Reading Rooms by advance appointment.
Appointments are required for both Columbia affiliates and external visitors, and must be booked at least 7 days in advance and up to 90 days in advance.
Regular Reading Room hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm.
Seats are limited and appointment bookings are first-come, first served. We cannot guarantee the availability of your preferred appointment dates/times.
Up to 5 items (bound volumes or archival boxes) may be requested per appointment.
Appointments are for one individual. Pairs or groups cannot be accommodated.
Please be respectful of staff and other users and only make appointments you intend to keep.
We reserve the right to cancel the remainder of your appointment if you are over 30 minutes late.
Make an appointment and request materials (7 to 90 days in advance)
Create / log into your Special Collections Research Account to make appointments and request items.
You will need to provide current address and contact information.
Upon your first visit, you will need to validate your account in-person with government issued photo identification or valid Columbia ID. We will take your photo for security purposes.
Request items before booking an appointment.
Follow the instructions on the New Requests page to request materials.
Up to 5 items may be requested per appointment. If your requests exceed that limit, library staff will contact you to prioritize your selections and assist you with options.
- Search CLIO or the Archival Collections Portal to locate a link to the collection’s online finding aid.
- Use Search Help to learn more about searching for archival collections.
- Search the Collection Contents or specific Series of a collection's finding aid
- Select specific boxes or folders using the Request button on the right.
- Your selected material will appear in a Request Cart
- In your Request Cart, click "request # item(s)" and follow the prompts to log in to your Special Collections Research Account
- Your requests will appear in your Outstanding Requests list with the status Request Needs Appointment.
- From here, you will need to follow the instructions to make a new appointment.
Request collection items from an individual CLIO catalog records
Request archival collections from an online finding aid
Request archival collections with a legacy PDF finding aid
- Search CLIO or the Archival Collections Portal to locate a link to the collection’s PDF finding aid.
- Review the finding aid and note the specific boxes you wish to consult.
- Go back to the CLIO catalog record, and select Request: Special Collections on the right side.
- You will be prompted to log in to your Special Collections Research Account.
- Add the Box Number to the request form (only one box number per form)
- From here, you will need to follow the instructions to make a new appointment.
If you wish to request additional boxes from the same collection:
- Locate your first request in your Outstanding Requests list
- Click Actions >> Clone Request
- Edit the Box Number in the form.
Once you have made your requests in your Special Collections Research Account, go to Requests >> Unsubmitted Requests.
Click the Edit button next to the first request.
At the bottom of the page, select a Reading Room.
Please note that there are two reading room calendars to choose from: RBML UArchives Reading Room and RBML Woods Reading Room. Be sure to check both calendars to find all available slots.Click the Schedule a New Appointment button to show the appointment calendar.
Appointment date: Select a date from the calendar to populate the appointment date field.
If a date is available, it will appear white and clickable.
If there are no available appointments, the date will be grayed out. Currently, we are only taking appointments 7 to 90 days in advance.Length of Appointment: Minimum: 1 hour; Maximum: 3 hours.
For a 6 hour/full-day appointment, please book two 3-hour appointments.Appointment time: Select based on the available timeslots.
Click the Create Appointment button to book your appointment.
Click the Submit Request button to save changes to the first request. This will bring you back to the main account page.
To add more requests to your appointment from the main account page: click the Actions button next to a request and select Edit.
At the bottom of the page, select your existing appointment from the dropdown menu.
Click the Submit Request button.
Repeat for each additional request (up to 5).
If it is more than 7 days before your appointment, you can change or cancel yourself in your Special Collections Research Account.
Click on Appointments in the blue navigation bar.
Click the Actions button:
Option 1 - Cancel Appointment: This will cancel your appointment and all the requests associated with that appointment.
Option 2 - Edit Appointment: This will allow you to schedule a new appointment time or select an existing appointment.
If your appointment is less than 7 days away, the system will not allow you to book a new appointment, even if there is an opening available. Please contact us directly for assistance.
If you will be delayed or need to cancel or reschedule your appointment, email rbml@library.columbia.edu or call (212) 854-5590 during our open hours.
If you are feeling unwell, please stay home and contact us to reschedule your appointment for another time.
We reserve the right to cancel the remainder of your appointment if you are over 30 minutes late.
If circumstances require library staff to cancel appointments for any reason, users will be contacted by email as promptly as possible.
To book another appointment, you'll have to repeat the appointment booking process, but since you can copy previous requests, it's a little easier.
From your Special Collections Research Account, select a request in your Outstanding Requests list.
Click the Actions button and select Clone Request.
Click the New Appointment button, or select an existing Appointment from the dropdown menu.
Click the Submit Request button when you are done. You will receive an automated confirmation of your appointment.
Need help? Contact us via email rbml@library.columbia.edu.