All items in this collection are cataloged on cards and are being added to the online catalog. They should be requested individually in CLIO. This record is for informational purposes only.
The first manuscripts collected at Columbia, these 2,350 volumes of manuscript books and bound volumes of letters were classified in the regular classification scheme (Dewey) with the call number preceded by the letter "X". They were cataloged by printed book rules into the main catalog. Cards are found in RBML in the correspondence and manuscript card files, as well as the "X" shelflist. No firther additions to this collection are made since the 1960s.
The collection is made up of manuscripts on all subjects, in many languages, from the medieval period through the twentieth century, and includes many of our greatest treasures, such two diaries of George Washington and a Sigmund Freud manuscript. The largest group is the approximately 1,000 volumes of Hebrew manuscripts.Medieval manuscripts that were originally part of this collection are now grouped with medieval and Renaissance materials and described in the Digital Scriptorium.
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
All items in this collection are cataloged on cards and are being added to the online catalog. They should be requested individually in CLIO. This record is for informational purposes only.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library