An artificial collection comprised of correspondence, diaries, lecture notes, essays, administrative documents, minutes, and other documents related to Columbia University. Materials were created by or for students, alumni, faculty, administrators, staff, trustees, and honorary degree recipients.

The materials that comprise the Historical Biographical Files have been collected and added to from a variety of sources over the years by current and previous staff. The files consist of materials related to people who have a connection to the University whether as student, alumni, administrator, faculty, staff, guest lecturer, or honorary degree recipient. Materials generally consist of newspaper and magazine clippings, press releases, programs, ephemera, printed matter, lists, reports, and pamphlets.

The Historical Photo Collection contains images of persons, events, and activities associated with Columbia College (1754-1896) and Columbia University (1896-).

Central Files is composed chiefly of correspondence sent and received between Columbia University administrators and other University officers, faculty, and trustees, as well as correspondence sent and received between University administrators and individuals and organizations from outside the university.

This collection is a combination of several different accessions of prints, negatives, contact sheets, color slides and digital files that were created by the University Photographer and others in the Columbia University Office of Public Affairs. The collection documents many events held on campus (e.g., commencement, homecoming, 1968 protests), the Morningside campus, individuals (faculty, student athletes), and sporting events.

This image collection consists of one black leather album containing 105 archive-quality 5x7 inch historic photos (of which 90 are manually darkroom-produced, black-and-white enlargements, mainly from negatives) depicting Columbia College student life and related current events during 1963-1965, plus photo captions totaling about 1,800 words. Also 4 CDs totaling 39 digitally reproduced color and B&W images.