Young Men’s Institute Library

Peace Quiet Peace Quiet and well worth it!!!

We visited today as part of the Obscura Day festivities, and the whole experience reminded me why I love libraries and librarians in the first place. This library is so quirky, with a classification system that organizes partly by acquisition date, so you can see the library’s whole history as you look across the shelves. According to the very cool head librarian Will, who gave us a fascinating hour-​long tour, the institution has been moribund for forty years, but now they’ve realized they have to re-​engage with the community. They’ve turned the third floor into a rough exhibition space, and they hope to turn the fourth floor/​attic into a performance space. I wish I lived in New Haven so I could be part of the revitalization of this amazing institution.

Bibliophiles rejoice!
Do you know someone in New Haven who loves books, but never know what they have already read or if they despise a certain author? Buy them a reasonably priced membership to this beautiful old library with an amazing history. The librarian really loves this place and it shows. The selection of books is quite unique, but the location itself has a particular draw. You have to be buzzed in to enter this second floor oasis, but don’t be intimidated, it’s worth having a peek. There are lovely reading rooms and newly renovated gallery spaces.

This private library is something of an acquired taste — most people probably wouldn’t care about it, or just wouldn’t see the point — but for those who like this sort of place, it’s heaven in downtown New Haven.
The Institute Library charges a small membership fee which is completely worth it. Joining the library gains one access to a strange and idiosyncratic collection of books maintained by two librarians who work with a bizarre cataloguing system used in, as I understand it, one other library in the world. The card catalogue is the only catalogue; this place is not computerized. It has leather club chairs, high ceilings, and character, but: no computers… so it’s basically a technology-​free zone. It’s very peaceful. Browsing the shelves here you see recent best-​sellers in addition to seventy-​five year old bestsellers that you’ve never heard of and never wanted to read, but might pick up now because… well, just because. Here at the Institute Library I found copies of novels I’d been hunting for for years, including lesser known works by Patrick Dennis (author of «Auntie Mame»). Anyone who’s a junkie for mystery novels would love the Institute Library — it has a massive collection.
Technically the Institute Library is in a category with a place like the Boston Athenaeum, but it’s not really similar. The Institute Library is not a research library; it’s not exactly serving general interests, though it has books in many areas of interest; and it’s not elitist, though I could see how it sounds that way. Even though it is a private library, which sounds snooty, the Institute Library is a casual enterprise, a time capsule, and one of the things that makes downtown New Haven a constant source of unexpected joy.
The Institute Library is on Chapel Street just off the New Haven Green, up one floor. If you’ve ever wandered around downtown, you’ve probably walked past it. But by walking past it and not walking in, you’re really missing out on a unique experience. Remember: it’s not about the quality of the library per se. It’s about the library’s special qualities.
NB: As of this writing (August 1, 2009) the Institute Library has a website, and new hours. The website is
, and the Library is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 10:00 to 3:00.