Just as we turned to our records to find out how Columbia responded to previous health crises, the University Archives is now collecting materials to document the coronavirus pandemic. The University’s official response is being recorded by saving communications, emails, websites and other documents. In addition to these materials, we are inviting faculty, students, alumni, librarians and staff of the university to be active participants in documenting our community’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic by completing the Columbia University Archives COVID-19 Experience Questionnaire.

We are looking for a diverse set of voices, hearing about your lived experience, and learning about your new everyday lives. Your anonymous answers will become part of a collection in the University Archives. These responses will be part of the first draft of history for future generations of Columbians looking back on this event and will help them understand what this challenging time was like.

If you want to know more about all of our collecting efforts, more information can be found on the University Archives Documenting COVID-19 at Columbia webpage.