During the 2019 Reunion weekends, Yale University Library's Manuscripts and Archives in Sterling Memorial Library will host an open house and display of archival materials in the Gates Classroom.
In addition, the library will offer alumni tours of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Center for Science and Social Science Information in Kline Biology Tower, and the newly renovated Franke Family Digital Humanities Laboratory in Sterling Memorial Library.
Here is the schedule of library events for both Reunion weekends:
Friday, May 24, 9 – 10 a.m. & Friday, May 31, 9 – 10 a.m., Open House: Manuscripts and Archives
Visit the soaring Gates Classroom in Manuscripts and Archives and view a selection of materials used by Yale faculty in their classes with undergraduates. One of the most beautiful spaces in Sterling Memorial Library, the room was originally built to house Yale's Gutenberg Bible and transformed into a special collections classroom in the 2018 renovation of Manuscripts and Archives. Enter the classroom through the entrance at the fireplace end of the Linonia and Brothers (L&B) Reading Room.
Friday, May 24, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. & Friday, May 31, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Tour: Center for Science and Social Science Information (CSSSI)
CSSSI supports the sciences, social sciences, and interdisciplinary fields at Yale by offering state-of-the-art information services in a technology-rich environment. Facilities include a 24/7 space with a media exhibit wall; a newly-renovated lower level with a seminar room, a digital studio, and maps/GIS consultation space; and a variety of spaces for individual or group study. CSSSI is located up the hill from the new residential colleges. Meet at the South Study Room (24-Hour Space), concourse level of Kline Biology Tower.
Saturday, May 25, 9 – 10 a.m. & Saturday, June 1, 9 – 10 a.m., Tour: Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Beinecke Library is Yale University Library’s principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. It houses public exhibitions and serves as a center for teaching and for research by students, faculty, and scholars at Yale and from around the world. Learn how students and many others engage the past in the present for the future and enjoy the library's current special exhibition of photographer Jerome Zerbe ’28 and contemporary photo portraitist Michael Childers, plus permanent exhibitions, including the Gutenberg Bible, Audubon’s Birds of America, and the 1742 Yale Library. Meet at the south side door, 121 Wall St. Tours are limited to the first 60 participants; in addition, the library’s exhibition hall is open for walk-in visits Thursday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 25, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. & Saturday, June 1, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m., Tour: Franke Family Digital Humanities Laboratory
The Franke Family Digital Humanities Laboratory opened in Sterling Memorial Library in Fall 2018. Designed to support the work of Yale scholars working at the intersection between STEM and the arts and humanities, the room integrates the original tudor decorative scheme with dramatic glass walls, large-scale visualization screens, and distinctive modern furniture. The space also offers space, community, and resources for Yale scholars, from students to faculty, that include workshops, informal consultations, and specialized hardware such as high-resolution monitors, deep learning artificial intelligence hardware, and virtual reality goggles. Tours are limited to the first 40 people; in addition, the space is open for walk-in visits during Sterling Memorial Library hours: Thursday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 11:45 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 11:45 p.m.
Photo: A view of the Manuscripts and Archives looking toward the Gates Classroom. Credit: Mara Lavitt.