The kick-off event was held on the evening of Sunday, June 16, at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The Beinecke turned 50 this year (the same age as this blogger!):
The marble panels keep harmful sunlight away from the rare books, but they let in just enough light to make them glow. This is what they looked like at 5:30 PM during movie night. In case you are wondering, we saw Franco Zeffirelli's documentary "Florence: Days of Destruction," which was made after the November 4, 1966 flood that devastated libraries and museums in Florence, Italy. It was a true horror movie for librarians.
The Beinecke displays two volumes of Audubon's double-elephant folio Birds of America:
Our class was held in the Bass Library, which occupies two underground floors beneath a part of Yale known as Cross Campus. The Bass is connected to the Sterling Memorial Library by an underground tunnel. The Sterling Library is an impressive sight on campus, especially after a storm:
We took some walking field trips to see processing spaces. Here is where Beinecke staff members process large collections of archives and manuscripts. It is located in a nearby off-site location.
I couldn't leave Yale without visiting the Peabody Museum:
I also visited the Yale University Art Gallery, which offers a gorgeous view of the campus:
My week at Yale was intense: class every day from 8:30-5:00, evening programs and lectures, field trips, and even homework! I am grateful that the Museum supported my attendance at Rare Book School, and I look forward to integrating everything I learned into my daily activities as the Museum's Librarian & Archivist.
