© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Yale's Beinecke Library Turns 50

Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library opened its doors 50 years ago this month. The library is celebrating this weekend with a series of eventsthat incorporate items from their collection.

When the Beinecke Library opened in 1963, it was the largest building in the world housing and preserving rare books and documents. "When the building opened," said Timothy Young, curator of modern books and manuscripts at the library, "basically anything that was precious and rare at Yale, because of its condition or age, was brought to live within the walls of Beinecke."

Beinecke has a series of 50th anniversary events planned this weekend that pay tribute to its vast collection, including a sound installation by Yale composer Matthew Suttor called "HxWxL." It's a work that uses sounds and music from the library's collection.

On Friday afternoon, Italian novelist Umberto Eco will give a lecture at the Yale University Art Gallery called, "The Library as a Model for Culture: Preserving, Filtering, Deleting, and Recovering." Saturday evening's gala concert at Sprague Memorial Hall features performances of music manuscripts and music set to poetry belonging to the Beinecke library. All eventsare free and open to the public.

Ray Hardman is Connecticut Public’s Arts and Culture Reporter. He is the host of CPTV’s Emmy-nominated original series Where Art Thou? Listeners to Connecticut Public Radio may know Ray as the local voice of Morning Edition, and later of All Things Considered.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content