Visitors
University alumni, retirees, consortial partners, and other approved visitors may access most library locations with a valid Community CUID (Columbia University IDentification) Card. Approved Visitors without a Community CUID may present a physical, government-issued photo ID and check in for each visit at the Library Information Office.
Community CUIDs are library cards that grant physical access and, in some cases, borrowing privileges to a number of Approved Visitor groups.
If you currently have a Community CUID in your possession, please do not apply for a new one. If the expiration date on your Community CUID has not passed but your access and/or borrowing privileges have expired, please contact the Library Information Office directly to renew your privileges. The following people are eligible to apply for a Community CUID:
Alumni of Columbia University, not including Barnard or Teachers College (free + $10 shipping)
Barnard alumni: please reach out to Barnard Library staff at fouyang@barnard.edu
TC alumni: please reach out to the TC Alumni office
Spouses, domestic partners, and dependents (ages 13-18) of Columbia University Officers ($20 + $10 shipping)
Spouses and domestic partners of Columbia University students ($20 + $10 shipping)
Consortial partners, including MaRLI, 2CUL, and Borrow Direct Plus (free + $10 shipping)
Jewish Theological Seminary faculty and students ($20 + $10 shipping)
Due to high demand and staff capacity, all Community CUIDs will be mailed to users after they are processed and printed. There is a $10 fee to ship all cards. Please note that processing time is approximately two weeks.
If you do not want your card to be mailed to you, the Library Information Office also offers walk-ins on Mondays and Thursdays, from 2pm - 4pm. These walk-in hours are first come, first served. We are unable to accommodate any walk-ins for CUIDs outside of these hours. Thank you for your understanding.
Approved visitors to the Libraries generally fall into these categories:
Alumni (excluding Teachers College and Barnard alumni)
Community Visitors, who are eligible to apply for a Community CUID through LIO:
- Consortial partners, including MaRLI, 2CUL, and Borrow Direct Plus
- Jewish Theological Seminary students, faculty and staff
- Spouses, domestic partners, and dependents (ages 13 - 18) of Columbia University Officers
- Spouses and domestic partners of Columbia University students
Temporary (Day) Visitors, such as:
- Consortial partners including SHARES, NYU, and METRO
- Users with appointments in Archival Collections
- Interview candidates or individuals with other appointments
- Users attending events, programs, or viewing an exhibition
- Individuals sponsored by a Columbia University Officer with a letter of introduction
- Faculty affiliated with other academic institutions
- Other special agreements as approved by the Libraries
Those who do not fall into the above categories may be eligible for access through another consortial partnership or special agreement that your home institution has with Columbia University Libraries. If you have questions regarding library access or your status as a Visitor, please contact the Library Information Office at lio@columbia.edu.