"The Land Book (on reserve at Columbia's Avery Library) is a basic source for buildings, especially if you're going to undertake further research for which you need to know the block and lot number of a building or group of buildings.  The block and lot is the number under which most official records are filed.  The land book also gives dimensions of lot, number of stories, present owner, and much more information." Land Books also available at the Municipal Archives.

"Old atlases, published by Peris, Bromley, Robinson, Beers, Sanborn, and others, are invaluable for tracing information on neighborhood development and on the history of a particular site.  These atlases were published every few years and show what was standing at a particular time, materials used in construction, where old farm lines were, names of buildings, etc.  Be sure to refer to the key in the fronts of each volume; this will aid in understanding what all of the map symbols and colors mean."