Due to COVID-19, Manuscripts and Archives' hours, procedures, and available services have changed. The information on this page may not reflect these changes. Please see Resumption of Services Information for current guidance.
To submit a reference inquiry to Manuscripts and Archives, send an email to mssa.assist@yale.edu or telephone the reference archivist at (203) 432-1744. Please provide as much information as possible about the subject of your inquiry to assist us in focusing our research efforts on your behalf.
All inquiries are answered in the order in which they are received. Depending on the volume of requests, a response may take two to three weeks.
If you haven't done so already, please create an account for yourself in Aeon, our online registration and request system at https://aeon-mssa.library.yale.edu/. Registering will allow us to order collection material on your behalf from our off-site storage facility, if necessary, while we investigate your reference request.
Given our staffing constraints, as well as the significant number of inquiries we daily receive, members of our reference team may spend no more than one hour assisting patrons at a distance. Patrons who submit requests requiring more than one hour of staff time may choose to do the additional work in person or to hire a research assistant.