Library Assistance for Persons with Disabilities

The Yale University Library serves as an important research and educational resource for the students, faculty, and staff of the Yale community. In order to ensure all users equitable access to the library's collections, public services, and web resources, the library has developed a program of services that enable users with disabilities to take full advantage of its offerings.

The following services will be available to persons with disabilities upon request:

Finding and Using Library Materials

• Assistance to facilitate the use of finding aids (online and physical)

• Paging of books from stacks and shelf areas (may be on a delayed basis)

• Assistance in ascertaining the availability of books and periodicals housed in Yale libraries

• Extension of reserves or loan periods or modification of other lending rules on an individual basis when possible

• Telephone assistance with finding out the status of an item on Orbis, the online catalog. On an individual basis, library staff will check to see if an item is on the shelf (may be on a delayed basis)

• Ensuring of access to microform readers, computers, and other pieces of information technology

• Assistance with photocopying of a limited number of pages from books and journals (may be on a delayed basis)

Reference Assistance​

• Advice about access to specialized online information sources

• Explanations and descriptions of sources of specialized information

• Help with numerous bibliographic citations

• Instruction on how to use available library technologies located at adaptive workstations

Proxy Cards​​

Users with disabilities are eligible to obtain a proxy borrower's card from the SML Service Desk for a specified friend or attendant to borrow library materials on their behalf. Proxy cards for non-students/staff will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on an applicant's particular circumstances.

Public services representatives from each of the Yale libraries should be contacted with any questions you may have regarding these services. For more information on university-level assistance for Yale students and staff with disabilities, contact the The Office for Equal Opportunity Programs.

Public Service Representa​t​ives [from each of the Yale libraries]

Sterling Memorial Library/Bass Library
Laura Sider, Assistant Department Head, Librarian for Front-Line Services
Tel. 203-436-4600
Brian Kiss, Library Services Assistant
Tel. 203-436-8024

Haas Family Arts Library [including Arts of the Book Collection, Drama Library, and Visual Resources Collection]
Lindsay King, Associate Director for Access and Research Services
Tel. 203-432-4439

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library 
Robin Mooring, Manager of Finance and Administration
Tel. 203-432-3939

Center for Science and Social Science Information
Marybeth Bean, Manager, Access Services
Tel. 203-432-3443

Classics Library
Colin McCaffrey, Classics Librarian
Tel. 203-432-8239

Divinity Library 
Susan Burdick, Circulation Manager 
Tel. 203-432-5288

Humanities Collections & Research Education
Lucille Houde, Library Service Assistant
Tel. 203-432-1783 

Law Library 
Cesar Zapata - Collections & Access Coordinator
Tel. 203-432-7294 (Weekends Contact) 

Manuscripts & Archives 
Michael Frost, Library Service Assistant
Tel. 203-432-1764

Medical Library
Katie Hart, Senior Administrative Assistant
Tel. 203-785-5352

Music Library 
Suzanne Lovejoy, Assistant Music Librarian for Public Services
Tel. 203-432-0497

Website
Steve Wieda, Senior Web Developer
Tel. 203-432-8252

Yale University Library
Andrew Gray, Employee Relations Support Specialist
Tel. 203-432-8481
Jason Helms, Office Manager
Tel. 203-432-8600
John Clegg, Director of Buidling Operations and Security
Tel. 203-432-1773

Available Adaptive T​echnology

Haas Family Arts Library

• A VHS/DVD/Audio workstation is available on the first floor.

• Wheelchair-accessible workstations are available on the first floor.

• Individual study rooms for persons with reading assistants may be reserved at the main service desk.

Bass Library

• Classrooms available on a scheduled basis for persons with reading assistants.  Please make a reservation at schedule.yale.edu.

• Eight individual study rooms located on the lower level

• Wheelchair-accessible public workstations on the lower level

• Eight wheelchair-accessible carrels located on upper and lower level (may not suit all wheelchairs)

• Two wheelchair-accessible printer machines located in the center of the upper level and located by classroom L01 on the lower level

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

• Currently testing screen reader software that will translate Beinecke's manuscript finding aids into voice output (software could be made available on demand)

Center for Science and Social Science Information

• Microsoft accessibility options (e.g., for increasing the font size display of web pages) available on PC workstations 

• Adjustable height table with PC workstation located in classroom

• Headphones 

Divinity Library

• Wheelchair-accessible adjustable table in the Reference Room.

• Large print keyboard with trackball upon request.

Manuscripts & Archives

• PC (NT 4.0; 21" Monitor; 32 MB Graphics Card)

• Wheelchair-accessible workstation

Medical Library 

• Microsoft accessibility options (e.g., for increasing the font size display of web pages) available on PC workstations

Sterling Memorial Library 

• One wheelchair-accessible printer located by the public workstations in the nave

• Four wheelchair accessible scanners located behind the old circulation desk in the nave

Physical Accessibilit​y Information

Haas Family Arts Library
The Haas Arts Library, including study rooms and classrooms, is wheelchair accessible.

Bass Library
The building is wheelchair-accessible. An outside elevator (located in the pavilion entrance to the Thain Family Cafe and the Bass Library) will take the reader directly to the Bass Library.

To get to the Sterling Memorial Library from the Bass Library, readers with wheelchairs should take the elevator one level up to the tunnel connecting Bass Library and Sterling Memorial Library. Once through the tunnel, in the Wright Reading Room, turn left to the elevator and proceed up to the main level and the Sterling Memorial Library nave.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
The building is wheelchair-accessible via the doorway on its south side. The guards, who are on duty during library hours at the desk on the street-floor level, will assist anyone needing to use the elevator to reach the exhibition floor or readers' services on the court level. The restrooms, on the court level, are wheelchair-accessible according to current codes.

Center for Science and Social Science Information
For wheelchair access to the Center (CSSSI) use the door on the Kline Biology Tower (KBT) concourse level; this door is power operated.  After 6pm this door requires Yale ID to access.  Ways to reach the concourse level of KBT:

• From Prospect Street Lot 21 (basement) entrance to Sloane Physics Laboratory.  Doors along this route are power operated. Turn right and go through next set of doors, turn right then left then left again.  Follow the corridor, CSSSI is on the left.  University ID required after business hours for Sloane.

• From Prospect St. side ramped entrance to KBT lobby.  Take elevator down to concourse level.  CSSSI is across from the elevator bay.  General access not available via this route on weekends or after 8pm.

• Accessible from the buildings sharing the corridor on the concourse level: Bass Center, Gibbs, Sloane, and Kroon. 

Wheelchair access is to concourse level of CSSSI only; no elevator to lower level.  Staff are available to page materials from book stacks on lower level; please request paging at the Information Desk or request through the online catalog.  Study rooms, classroom, Mac and PC workstations, bathrooms, and 24-hour space are accessible on the concourse level.  

Classics Library
Persons with wheelchairs must call the desk (432-8054); the elevator goes to the fifth floor only with a key.

Divinity Library
The library is wheelchair-accessible via the main entrance of the Yale Divinity School. Inside the library, an elevator gives access to the second and ground floors.

Mathematics Library
One of the 3 rooms of the Mathematics Library (LOM 223) is wheelchair-accessible. Library readers can use an elevator in Dunham Lab and take it to the 4th floor, proceed down the corridor, and over the bridge to reach the Math Library.

Medical Library
The library is wheelchair-accessible via the entrance on 333 Cedar Street. Elevator access to the basement collections is available.

Sterling Memorial Library
The building is wheelchair-accessible via the High Street entrance. Readers who require assistance to get into the Sterling Memorial Library should press the blue door operator button located to the right of the entrance door.  When exiting the blue door operator button is located on the stanchion on the right just past the High St. security post.

Other Resources Available on Campus

Accessibility Maps of Yale University
Office for Equal Opportunity Programs
Resource Office on Disabilities

For inquiries regarding this page, please contact Jason Helms, Office Manager.  Tel. 203-432-8600

Last modified: 

Tuesday, May 29, 2018 - 8:48am