Visiting the Beinecke Library

Visiting the Library

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 208240, New Haven, CT 06520-8240
(203) 432-2977 or FAX (203) 432-4047
Contact: Louise Bernard, Curator, American Literature, (203) 432-9278

On-Site Access

The Beinecke Library is open to qualified scholars. New library users must fill out a registration card and present two forms of identification with recent photographs and a current address. The Beinecke Library is a non-circulating, closed stack library; all research areas are accessible to the handicapped. There are no public photoduplication facilities, but orders for photocopies, microfilm, and photographs may be placed in person or in writing. Requests for photoduplication, subject to physical and contractual restrictions, are accepted at the service desk. Microfilm readers are available in the library; readers are encouraged to bring their own laptop computers. The curators and public services staff provide reference assistance.

Off-Site Researchers

The Beinecke Library accepts requests for information through the mail as well as fax and email. Direct all inquiries to the appropriate curator.

Directions

From the New Haven Green:

On foot, take College Street north to Wall Street. Take a left on Wall Street. Enter the plaza on the right in the middle of the first block. The Beinecke Library is the large white marble building facing east.

There is limited metered street parking (bring quarters) on Grove Street. There are two public parking lots in easy walking distance from the Beinecke, one on Grove and Church (two blocks east) and the other on Broadway opposite the Yale Bookstore (two blocks west).

From outside New Haven:

Take Interstate 95 (North or South) to Interstate 91 North (toward Hartford). Take Interstate 91 to Exit 3, Trumbull Street. Follow the exit ramp directly onto Trumbull Street and continue to Prospect Street (the fourth traffic light). Turn left onto Prospect for one block. Make a right onto Grove Street. Park on Grove Street which is the just north of the Beinecke Plaza. The Library is surrounded by streets that are closed to traffic.

From outside Connecticut:

New Haven is located on the shore of Long Island Sound. The city is served by Tweed-New Haven Airport, which offers connections through New York, Chicago, and other regional hubs. Currently the only jet service is through Chicago. The closest international airports are New York City's LaGuardia and Kennedy airports, Newark International, and Hartford/Springfield's Bradley International. Bus service to New Haven is available at each of those airports. AmTrak has daily service to New Haven's Union Station from Boston and Washington, DC via New York's Penn Station. Metro North has hourly service from New York's Grand Central Station.

If you're coming from a distance, we recommend you contact Public Services, in advance, both to get more specific directions and to make sure that the materials and assistance you need will be available while you're here.