Application to Use the Archives of Teachers College: General Information

Teachers College or Columbia University Researchers:

Teachers College or Columbia University researchers wishing to consult the archives of Teachers College may submit a request in writing to the Gottesman Libraries.

Pending acceptance of application by Teachers College researchers, materials are paged in advance, shelved by the name of the requestor, and made available for pick up from behind the First Floor Services Desk. They may be used in Russell 105, the closed collections reading room, located behind the Services Desk. The room is booked accordingly for research.

• Paged archival materials may be consulted during hours when the library is open.  If additional archival materials are required for paging at the time of a booking, they are retrieved within one or two business days.


• Block out periods for use of the archives include the beginning of academic semesters, as well as holiday and exam periods.

Non Teachers College or Columbia University Researchers:

Researchers not affiliated with Teachers College must complete the Application for Access,  and pay the non-refundable $25 application fee online. If you decide to pursue your request, the application fee will be applied towards processing fees.

Historical research queries are reviewed and handled in the order in which they are received, and only after the application fee has been processed. Applicants may expect an initial response within 7-10 business days. 

Processing fees range from $50-200 per request. An estimate will be provided for confirmation before the request is fulfilled. In addition, there will be a charge of $1 per page for scanning.

Pending acceptance of charges, materials will be scanned and made available online via PocketKnowledge, the digital repository. Researchers can browse PocketKnowledge to view samples of digitized archival materials.

Collection Policies and Services for the Archives:

To gain full understanding of the The Gottesman Libraries’ commitment to institutional records and manuscripts, please read the full statement on collection policies and services for the archives.