Public visitors are welcome in the Beinecke Library exhibition hall on Monday and Tuesday, 9am – 7pm; Wednesday, 10am – 7pm; Thursday, 9am – 7pm; Friday, 9am – 5pm; and Saturday and Sunday, noon – 5pm. 

Please check the Hours and Accessibility page on this website for detailed information.

The Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed from movable type, is on permanent display on the mezzanine. From July 25, 2024, through January 28, 2025, it is on view along with an innovative edition of the Hebrew Bible completed by Daniel Bomberg in 1517.

Read more about Gutenberg and Bomberg

On the ground floor, visitors can see the 1742 Library of Yale College, the first books in the original Yale library, as well as a collection of incunabula, the earliest printed books in the West, from 1455 to ca. 1500.

An information sheet about the library’s history, mission, architecture, collection, and services is available at the security desk at the entrance and the building and exhibitions can be enjoyed on a self-guided basis.