diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.c b/src/obidmscolumn.c
index df321ed..dc7178b 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.c
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.c
@@ -1562,4 +1562,132 @@ size_t obi_column_get_nb_elements_per_line(OBIDMS_column_p column)
 }
 
 
+char* obi_column_get_formatted_creation_date(OBIDMS_column_p column)
+{
+	const char* formatted_time;
+	struct tm* tmp;
 
+	formatted_time = (char*) malloc(FORMATTED_TIME_LENGTH*sizeof(char));
+
+	tmp = localtime(&((column->header)->creation_date));
+	if (tmp == NULL)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError formatting the creation date of a column");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	if (strftime(formatted_time, FORMATTED_TIME_LENGTH, "%c", tmp) == 0)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError formatting the creation date of a column");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return formatted_time;
+}
+
+
+char* obi_column_get_formatted_creation_date_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name)
+{
+	OBIDMS_column_header_p 		header;
+	OBIDMS_column_directory_p	column_directory;
+	char* 						column_file_name;
+	int 						column_file_descriptor;
+	int							column_dir_file_descriptor;
+	size_t 						header_size;
+	obiversion_t	   			version_number;
+	const char*         		formatted_time;
+	struct tm*					tmp;
+
+	// Get the column directory structure associated to the column
+	column_directory = obi_open_column_directory(dms, column_name);
+	if (column_directory == NULL)
+	{
+		obidebug(1, "\nError opening a column directory structure");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// Get the file descriptor associated to the column directory
+	column_dir_file_descriptor = dirfd(column_directory->directory);
+	if (column_dir_file_descriptor < 0)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOLDIR_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError getting the file descriptor of a column directory");
+		obi_close_column_directory(column_directory);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// Calculate the header size
+	header_size = obi_get_platform_header_size();
+
+	// Get the latest version number
+	version_number = obi_get_latest_version_number(column_directory);
+	if (version_number < 0)
+	{
+		obidebug(1, "\nError getting the latest version number in a column directory");
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// Get the column file name
+	column_file_name = build_column_file_name(column_name, version_number);
+	if (column_file_name == NULL)
+	{
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// Open the column file (READ-ONLY)
+	column_file_descriptor = openat(column_dir_file_descriptor, column_file_name, O_RDONLY);
+	if (column_file_descriptor < 0)
+	{
+		obidebug(1, "\nError opening a column file");
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		free(column_file_name);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// Fill the header structure
+	header = mmap(NULL,
+			 header_size,
+			 PROT_READ,
+			 MAP_SHARED,
+			 column_file_descriptor,
+			 0
+			 );
+
+	if (header == MAP_FAILED)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError mmapping the header of a column");
+		close(column_file_descriptor);
+		free(column_file_name);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	// TODO Check endianness?
+
+	// Format time
+	formatted_time = (char*) malloc(FORMATTED_TIME_LENGTH*sizeof(char));
+	tmp = localtime(&(header->creation_date));
+	if (tmp == NULL)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError formatting the creation date of a column");
+		close(column_file_descriptor);
+		free(column_file_name);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	if (strftime(formatted_time, FORMATTED_TIME_LENGTH, "%c", tmp) == 0)
+	{
+		obi_set_errno(OBICOL_UNKNOWN_ERROR);
+		obidebug(1, "\nError formatting the creation date of a column");
+		close(column_file_descriptor);
+		free(column_file_name);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	free(column_file_name);
+	close(column_file_descriptor);
+	munmap(header, header_size);
+	return formatted_time;
+}
diff --git a/src/obidmscolumn.h b/src/obidmscolumn.h
index 85ba2d3..ef3a246 100644
--- a/src/obidmscolumn.h
+++ b/src/obidmscolumn.h
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@
                                 	   */
 #define MAXIMUM_LINE_COUNT (1000000)  /**< The maximum line count for the data of a column. //TODO
                                 	   */
-
+#define FORMATTED_TIME_LENGTH (1024)   /**< The length allocated for the character string containing a formatted date
+ 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	   */
 
 typedef int32_t obiversion_t; 	/**< Used to store the column version number
                                  */
@@ -391,7 +392,7 @@ size_t obi_column_get_element_index_from_name(OBIDMS_column_p column, const char
  *
  * @param column A pointer on an OBIDMS column.
  *
- * @returns The number of elements per line
+ * @returns The number of elements per line.
  *
  * @since July 2015
  * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
@@ -399,4 +400,31 @@ size_t obi_column_get_element_index_from_name(OBIDMS_column_p column, const char
 size_t obi_column_get_nb_elements_per_line(OBIDMS_column_p column);
 
 
+/**
+ * @brief Recovers the creation date of an OBIDMS column.
+ *
+ * @param column A pointer on an OBIDMS column.
+ *
+ * @returns The creation date of the column.
+ *
+ * @since October 2015
+ * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
+ */
+char* obi_column_get_formatted_creation_date(OBIDMS_column_p column);
+
+
+/**
+ * @brief Recovers the creation date of an OBIDMS column from the column name.
+ *
+ * @param dms A pointer on an OBIDMS.
+ * @param column_name The name of an OBIDMS column.
+ *
+ * @returns The creation date of the column.
+ *
+ * @since October 2015
+ * @author Celine Mercier (celine.mercier@metabarcoding.org)
+ */
+char* obi_column_get_get_formatted_creation_date_from_name(OBIDMS_p dms, const char* column_name);
+
+
 #endif /* OBIDMSCOLUMN_H_ */