Accessing the Human Rights Collections
ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS
All human rights archival collections are managed by the Rare Book & Manuscript Library (RBML) located on the 6th floor of Butler Library. Archival collections are open to all members of the University community and the public. All materials are non-circulating.
Our collections have not been digitized and are not currently available online, although specific items may be accessible through other online sources, such as organizational web sites. Please contact us if you need more assistance.
Please view Plan Your Visit to learn more about requesting and consulting the archival collections, and the RBML's main website for other relevant information.
Finding Material of Interest
Please use the following search tools to locate archival materials:
- CLIO, Columbia Libraries' catalog. Using the filters, limit your search to "archives"
- Archives Portal will search descriptions and finding aids of archival collections at Columbia Libraries
- Ask us! Please email chrdr@columbia.edu or rbml@columbia.edu with any questions about locating materials.
TIPS:
- If you aren't finding relevant material, try more general searches, as some archival collections may not have very detailed descriptive information.
- Learn more by reading through the Finding Aid for a collection. The Container List will expand to show you the titles of each box and folder (but not the documents or items within each folder).
- Use the "find in page" function on your browser to scan through longer Container Lists.
RESEARCH COLLECTIONS
General research collections (books, journals, films, etc.) are held throughout campus libraries and most materials circulate. In addition, Columbia affiliates have access to borrowing books from an extensive network of other regional academic library collections.
Access to general collections in campus libraries is limited to Columbia students, faculty, staff and members of affiliated institutions. Please consult our Using the Libraries page to learn more about access policies.
Research Collections:
- Global Studies at Columbia Libraries
World area and subject specialist librarians who develop interdisciplinary collections covering the following regions/subjects: African Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin American & Iberian Studies, Middle East & Islamic Studies, Russian, Eurasian & E.European Studies, South & Southeast Asian Studies. - C.V. Starr East Asian Library
Collections from and about China, Japan, Korea and Tibet, in languages of those countries as well as materials in English and other Western languages about East Asia. - Lehman Social Sciences Library
Contemporary collection of social sciences materials, e.g. sociology, political sciences, international affairs. Lehman is also U.S. federal government document depository. - Columbia Center for Oral History
Largest and oldest oral history program in the world; holds recorded interviews and transcripts with several collections related to contemporary and historical human rights topics - Butler Library
Humanities and history collections, e.g. biography, historical works, literary, cultural topics, feature and documentary film. - Arthur W. Diamond Law Library
Significant holdings of international law, treaties, IGO documents including the UN, International Court and tribunal records. Journals and books relevant to HR, esp. legal aspects, treatments. - CLIO
Gateway to an extensive number of online sources, including ebooks, online journals, databases and text collections. Note that many databases are accessible only to current Columbia students, faculty and staff.
Finding Material of Interest
- Use QUICKSEARCH, and select the CATALOG option to focus your search in CLIO, Columbia's online library catalog. This allows you to search all campus library holdings except for the Law School and Teachers College.
Search Pegasus for items held in the Columbia Law Library.
- Research Guides highlight major resources in Columbia's collections and beyond.
Contact chrdr@columbia.edu with questions about general collections.