Yale University: Beinecke Library

About the library:

The Beinecke Library is the primary library for rare books, manuscripts, and special collections at Yale University. It was built in 1960-1963. It is one of the largest buildings in the world dedicated entirely to rare books and manuscripts, with room for nearly 1.25 million volumes.

For more information concerning the Japanese collections, please contact the library with the information listed above.

Collection Highlights

Exhibitions

Guide to Japanese Manuscripts & Archives Holdings

Guide to Japanese Special Collections

List of Catalogs & Databases

New Finding Aids

Newly Cataloged Acquisitions

Programs & Events

Research Services

Beinecke Library

East Asia Library

Yale Museums and Galleries

Collection size: as of March 2015

The Beinecke Library is the main repository for rare books and archival materials at Yale University, and their collections are vast.

Notable Collections:

• Yale Association of Japan collection: a collection of rare books, scrolls, manuscripts, and other items donated by the Japanese Yale alumni group.
• Japanese Manuscript Collection: a collection of approximately 700 manuscripts in Japanese assembled by the first curator of the East Asian collections at Yale, Asakawa Kan'ichi (朝河貫一).

URL: http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/

Online catalog: http://orbis.library.yale.edu/

A database of all digitized items from the collections held by the Beinecke Library, including thousands of items.

A searchable database of brief records for items not found in other locations, including Orbis, the Finding Aid database, and the digital collections.

The database for finding aids of collections at Yale University. Please not that most medieval and Renaissance manuscripts, as well as papyri items, are listed in a separate database.

Directions and parking

The Beinecke Library is open to all researchers who require their collections, regardless of Yale affiliation status. They ask that all users pre-register before coming in to use the collections. Materials may be requested through ORBIS, the Finding Aid database, and the Digital Collections tool.

The library also requests that researchers review the reading room policies before visiting.

For all comments and questions about the Guide, please e-mail us:

mlaguide@nccjapan.net