Alumni of Columbia University enjoy free lifetime access to library buildings with a valid CUID, and can purchase borrowing privileges for a monthly fee. Alumni also have access to a selection of e-resources.

Apply for CUID

Alumni are encouraged to wait 120 days to obtain their alumni CUID following their graduation date, as student-status library privileges remain active for 120 days.

Alumni may access Butler Library from 8am to midnight. 

Learn more about Columbia alumni benefits and privileges. 

Due to high demand and staff capacity, alumni should apply for a CUID in advance. To apply for a CUID, please fill out a CUID Application. You will be notified via email when your CUID is ready for pickup; you must come in-person to pick up your CUID. Please note that processing time is currently approximately two weeks.  

The Library Information Office also offers walk-ins for CUID production during our drop-in hours on Thursdays, 1pm - 3pm. These drop-in hours are first come, first served. We are unable to accommodate walk-ins outside of these hours; thank you for your understanding.

Borrowing privileges for onsite and offsite collections can be purchased in the Library Information Office for $30 per month. Borrowing privileges are not available at the Law School, Teachers College, or the Health Sciences libraries.

Alumni do not have access to the following services:

• Interlibrary Loan
• Borrow Direct
• Pickup Service
• Scan & Deliver 

Graduates of Columbia University, Barnard, Teachers College, and Union Theological Seminary have off-campus access to the following e-resources. To use these resources, alumni may need to activate their UNI or change their password at the Manage My UNI website.

Please use the links on this page for access. Using any other links to these databases will not allow alumni access.

For questions regarding resources, please contact the Library Information Office at lio@columbia.edu.