Libraries

       The Columbia University Libraries are an academic research library system serving the University’s faculty, officers of research, and students. Library staff build, sustain, and make discoverable collections that transcend traditional boundaries of format and domain, keeping pace with a rapidly evolving information environment and creating unique opportunities for users to encounter global thought. As vital partners in the University's research and learning ecosystems, the Libraries connect users with rich and distinctive collections, foster meaningful learning experiences, and provide innovative research support for a large, diverse user population.

       Library collections are accessible through the CLIO discovery system and include resources in more than 450 languages and primary source materials that span over 4,000 years of human thought. Columbia's library system is a leader in strategic partnerships with other institutions for shared collections and reciprocal borrowing and serves as a key node in a network connecting users to a boundless multitude of resources around the world.

       The Libraries provide a range of programs and services to enhance the teaching and scholarship of faculty and researchers. Subject specialists and curators are available to collaborate with faculty on assignment design and learning objectives, offer in-class instruction in support of course assignments, and meet individually with faculty and students. The Libraries provide additional support to faculty and researchers with a regular schedule of workshops, office hours, open labs, and public events. "From Books to Bytes: Navigating the Research Ecosystem," created by the Libraries in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning, is a set of online resources that define the research lifecycle, provide practical strategies, and guide users through the vast resources available to them at Columbia.

       The library system reports to the Provost of the University as an academic and administrative unit through the Vice Provost and University Librarian. The Provost’s Advisory Committee on the Libraries is the structural mechanism by which ongoing collaboration between the Libraries, the faculty, and the Provost occurs. The Provost relies on the Committee to provide faculty input and guidance to ensure that the Libraries are as responsive as possible to the needs and aspirations of Columbia's schools, departments, institutes, and centers and their faculty. The Provost meets with the Committee each academic year to review its recommendations.

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