The Fantastic Library

On the way to the morning class observation, we will pass a very modern building. At first glance, the peculiar building easily catches people’s eyes since there are no windows for the whole building but with marbles as its wall. Can you imagine why there are no windows in the building? Here is a long story about this outstanding building.

Actually it is the famous Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, which began on the building in 1960 and was completed in 1963, one of the world's largest libraries devoted entirely to rare books and manuscripts and is Yale's principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. It contains the principal rare books and literary manuscripts of Yale University and serves as a center for research by students, faculty, and other scholars.

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. Temperature and humidity controls ensure that stored materials are protected for future generations. Therefore, the building materials chiefly adopt

Vermont marble and granite, bronze and glass. The white, gray-veined marble panes of the exterior are one and one-quarter inches thick and are framed by shaped light gray Vermont Woodbury granite. These marble panels filter light so that rare materials can be displayed without damage.

 A revolving glass door provides public entrance to the Beinecke Library. Upon entering, visitors see the glass tower of books that rises through the core of the building. Two stairways ascend on either side to the mezzanine level. Together with the entrance level, the mezzanine functions as a showcase for rotating exhibits that highlight the Beinecke's rich collections. The Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type, and Audubon's Birds of America are on permanent exhibition.

 We are so lucky when we read the following notice: the Library’s building will be closed for renovation from May 2015 to September 2016.If we were here a year later,we would not have the great honor to visit the special library.