Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library

Mission

The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library provides access to one of the world’s largest collections of rare books, manuscripts, and related materials. Each year, we welcome over 7,000 students into our classrooms; nearly 3,000 researchers in our reading room; more than 150,00 visitors to our exhibitions; and over 350,000 unique visitors online. A team of 140 plus talented staff members make the Beinecke Library a vibrant nexus for discovery, creativity, and knowledge.

In the past year, the Beinecke Library has partnered with six special collections in the Yale Library (Arts, Divinity, Lewis Walpole, Manuscripts and Archives, Medical Historical, and Music) to create a more unified approach for serving our users and stewarding our collections. On July 1, 2022, the Beinecke Library merged operations with Manuscripts and Archives, and the reimagined Beinecke Library adopted a more expansive mission to lead and support special collections across the Yale Library. Together, we continue to innovate in building outstanding collections and in making Yale’s unique special collections more available for research, teaching, and learning.

Our vision
The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library will inspire users to engage with the past to transform the future.

Our mission
We connect people with a diverse record of the past for study and inspiration. We advance teaching, research, learning, and practice through access to our collections.