Today’s post about The Divinity Library is brought to you by Laura Kisthardt (M.Div. ‘20). Laura is helped ably by Paul Reese (M.Div. ‘19), both of whom are working in the Library this summer. They have their favorite spots, which they’ll tell you about, and soon you’ll have yours too!
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Hi there - my name is Laura Kisthardt. I am a second year Master of Divinity student, affiliated with Andover Newton Seminary and a student worker in the Divinity Library. If you are a book nerd like me, one of the biggest perks of becoming a part of the Yale community is the library system.
We are fortunate as Divinity students to have a library right in our building. The Divinity Library has a wealth of resources spread out over several floors. When you enter the library on the main level is the circulation desk where you can pick up any holds, books you request from other Yale libraries or Borrow Direct (more on that below). The Circulation Desk is also where you will find books “on reserve.” Professors often put the books from their syllabi on reserve so that students can come and check them out to use for two hour intervals - a great way to save on book costs, especially any books that you only have to read a few chapters of. The main floor of the library is also where you will find some computers available for student use, scanners and the printer.
I am a student worker in the Ministry Resource Center, tucked away in the far corner of the library on the main floor. The Ministry Resource Center is a treasure trove of books, DVD’s, Sunday School curriculum, puppets, and more! All of the resources are available to any Yale students, but are especially useful for MDivs who are doing their Supervised Ministry. You can also utilize the Ministry Resource Center for your own personal spiritual needs. There are many books on different types of prayer and spirituality. Items in the Ministry Resource Center don’t have the traditional call numbers found in the rest of the library. Grab a Subject Category Guide when you enter this section of the library to help you find the topics that you are looking for.
Head down the stairs and you will come to Special Collections. Yale Divinity Library has a variety of archival and manuscript material, some onsite or available for delivery from LSF [the Library Shelving Facility - where they keep all the books that don’t fit on the existing shelves.]
The ground floor of the library is where you will find the stacks, study carrels, and Nouwen Chapel. The Yale Divinity Library
is one of the few libraries in the world that contains a prayer chapel! The triptych inside the chapel shows the Catholic priest, theologian and YDS Professor Henri Nouwen and those who influenced him (including Martin Luther King, Jr, Ghandi, Teresa of Avila and Vincent Van Gogh) reverencing the risen Christ in the center panel. The triptych was specially commissioned for the Nouwen Chapel and painted by John Giuliani, a Jesuit priest living in Connecticut who paints icons featuring Native American spirituality. Nouwen Chapel is used for prayer and worship services throughout the year and is often available for individual or small group use.
From the ground floor, take the elevator up to the 2nd floor and you will come to the Trowbridge Reference room. Trowbridge was recently renovated and has extra comfy furniture! It is a great place to sit at a large communal table and type away or curl up in a cozy chair with a book. Paul Olive-Reese (pictured left) is a third year MDiv who shared with me that Trowbridge room is his favorite study spot in the Divinity Library. He likes to curl up in one of the big comfy chairs with a big mug of green tea (in a library approved container, of course).
Walk through Trowbridge and the foyer and you will come to the crown jewel of the Divinity Library, the Day Missions Reading Room. This is the room in the library that seems like it is straight out of Harry Potter! There are two levels of desks to work from with inspirational views of the lovely bookshelves:
As a Divinity student you are not limited to just the Divinity Library. You can (and should!) take advantage of the other Yale libraries. Many Divinity students can be seen around Sterling Memorial Library, Bass Library, and the Law School Library. Paul shared with me that you can reserve a study carrel at Sterling Memorial Library, but there is usually a long list. So Paul suggests just squatting - claim one as your own until the owner comes along!
And as I mentioned earlier, with Borrow Direct you can expand your reach to other Ivy league libraries. When you get a book from Borrow Direct it will come with a paper sleeve around the cover, be sure to leave that on the book, or keep it with it if it falls off. If you lose it you might face a bit of a hassle returning the Borrow Direct book.
One last bit of library advice: the Yale Library system is WAY more than just the physical walls of any library and the books. You can use the Quicksearch function anytime to access articles, e-books, online databases, and more. As with all things, you will learn more at BTFO.
That’s it for the basics guide to the Yale Divinity Library. Happy reading!
P.S. If you are still looking for an on campus job, the Ministry Resource Center is hiring. Please send your resume to ministry.resource.center@yale.edu.