| The Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library contains the principal rare books and literary manuscripts of Yale University and serves as a center for research by students, faculty, and other serious readers, whether connected with Yale or not. Materials do not circulate, but may be used in the reading room on the court level. One of the largest buildings in the world devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts, the library has room in the central tower for 180,000 volumes and in the underground book stacks for over 600,000 volumes; it now contains about 500,000 volumes and several million manuscripts. The building and its endowment are the gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, Yale 1907; Frederick W. Beinecke, Yale 1909S; Walter Beinecke, Yale 1910; and their families. The building, of Vermont marble and granite, bronze and glass, was designed by Gordon Bunshaft, of the firm of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill; the George A. Fuller Construction Company was the general contractor. The translucent marble panes of the exterior are one and one-quarter inches thick. The courtyard sculptures are by Isamu Noguchi, and represent the earth (pyramid), the sun (circle), and chance (Cube). The library contains five major collections: the General Collection of Rare Books and Manuscripts, the Collection of American Literature, the Collection of Western Americana, the German Literature Collection, and the Osborn Collection of English literary and historical manuscripts. On permanent exhibition in cases on the mezzanine are the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type, and Audubon's Birds of America. Special exhibitions are arranged throughout the year. You may embark on a "virtual tour" of the public areas of the Beinecke Library. Before proceeding, please be aware that loading the tour requires 311K.What you will see on the virtual tour: Image 1: View of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library from the northeast corner behind the Alexander Calder sculpture. Image 2: View of a portion of the marble facade of the Beinecke Library. Image 3: The courtyard of the Beinecke Library contains sculptures by Isamu Noguchi representing the earth (pyramid), the sun (circle), and chance (cube). This view of the courtyard shows the sun (circle). Image 4: Main entrance to the Beinecke Library. Image 5: Reception desk on the ground level. Image 6: Stairs leading to the exhibition space on the Mezzanine, southern view. Image 7: Exhibition space (mezzanine floor), northern view. Image 8: View from the exhibition floor of the glass book stack tower. Image 9: On permanent display is the Beinecke's copy of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Westernbook printed from movable type. Image 10: Also on permanent display is a copy of the elephant folio edition of John James Audubon Birds of America. Image 11: From the Gertrude Stein/Alice B. Toklas Collection, two Louis XVI children's armchairs upholstered with petit point worked by Toklas over designs by Pablo Picasso. Image 12: Francis Picabia's Portrait of Gertrude Stein, 1933, oil on canvas. (Gift of Alice B. Toklas and Allan Stein to the Yale Collection of American Literature) Image 13: Beinecke Library home page.  Comments:Ellen R.Cordes, ellen.cordes@yale.edu |
