Rare Book and Manuscript Library

The Rare Book and Manuscript Library occupies the sixth floor of Butler Library, housing collections that span over 4,000 years of human history.

Founded in 1930, the library began with significant acquisitions including John James Audubon's The Birds of America during William A. Duer's presidency at Columbia University.

The collections include cuneiform tablets, early printed books, manuscripts, and extensive archives documenting American history, literature, mathematics, and performing arts.

Visitors can access the reading rooms Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM by appointment, with reservations required at least seven days in advance.

The library maintains the Bakhmeteff Archive, which contains extensive documentation of Russian and Eastern European history and cultural materials.

Location: Manhattan

Inception: July 1, 1930

Part of: Butler Library

Address: 6th Floor East Butler Library, 535 West 114th St, New York, NY 10027 10027

Phone: +12128545590

Email: rbml@library.columbia.edu

Website: https://library.columbia.edu/libraries/rbml.html

GPS coordinates: 40.80640,-73.96310

Latest update: May 14, 2025 07:03