Rare Book and Manuscript Library
| Rare Book and Manuscript Library | |
|---|---|
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is located on the sixth floor of Columbia University's Butler Library | |
| Location | New York City, New York, United States of America |
| Type | University library |
| Established | 1 July 1930 |
| Branch of | Columbia University Libraries |
| Other information | |
| Website | library |
The Rare Book and Manuscript Library is the principal repository for the special collections of Columbia University. Located on the sixth floor of Butler Library on the university's Morningside Heights campus, its collections span more than 4,000 years, from early Mesopotamia to the present day, and span a variety of formats: cuneiform tablets, papyri, and ostraca, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, early printed books, works of art, posters, photographs, realia (such as mathematical instruments and theater models), sound and moving image recordings, and born-digital archives. Areas of collecting emphasis include American history, Russian and East European émigré history and culture, Columbia University history, comics and cartoons, philanthropy and social reform, the history of mathematics, human rights advocacy, Hebraica and Judaica, Latino arts and activism, literature and publishing, medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, oral history, performing arts, and printing history and the book arts. It also holds the Columbia University Archives.