Manuscripts and Archives (MSSA) is a vital special collections repository, one of several within Yale's library system, serving the needs of researchers from Yale and beyond. The collections in MSSA include over 1,950 distinct historical manuscript collections, the Yale University Archives, and the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies (FVAHT). While the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library specializes in rare books and literary manuscripts, MSSA holdings document American political, legal, diplomatic, social, and cultural history from the 18th century to the present, as well as the achievements of Yale people across the globe. MSSA works with faculty to identify ways in which the collections can support teaching and scholarship. Current collecting initiatives include contemporary architecture, LGBTQ history and culture, American diplomacy, and under-documented ethnic groups. Historical records in the University Archives detail the entire breadth of more than three centuries of Yale history, while the FVAHT includes over 12,000 hours of video testimony from Holocaust survivors and witnesses.
The renovation of Manuscripts and Archives will revitalize a beautiful space within Sterling Memorial Library, one that was originally built to house the rare book collections now at the Beinecke Library. The renovation project will provide for better stewardship of collection materials through improved environmental control and security upgrades. The researcher experience in the revitalized reading room will be enhanced with improved lighting, reduced noise, and improved consultation space. Perhaps most importantly for our teaching mission, the renovation will create a beautiful, inspiring, and secure classroom space to meet increasing faculty demand for teaching with Manuscripts and Archives collections.
BELOW: Architect's renderings of the renovated Manuscripts and Archives public spaces: (top) entrance to the reading room, with a consultation room off the reading room seen through a glass wall at the right; (middle) the reading room seen from the back, close to the classroom; (bottom) the classroom looking towards a new door through a former fireplace into Sterling Memorial Library's Linonia & Brothers reading room.
85,145
10,077
3,500
6,500
55,000
Archivists from Manuscripts and Archives offered 66 class sessions last year, including more than 1,100 participants, providing opportunities for Yale students to interact with manuscript collections and university records in a wide range of fields. Classes have included:
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