Library Access for Researchers with Disabilities

Building Information & Accessibility

The medical library is wheelchair-accessible via the Sterling Hall of Medicine entrance on 333 Cedar Street. Inside the medical library, users can access the E-level via elevator.

Library Maps (the wheelchair-accessible elevator is located in the center corridor)

When the medical library is open, the 24/7 room (located on the E-level) is wheelchair-accessible via elevator. When the medical library is closed, the 24/7 room is no longer accessible for people in wheelchairs. Users must exit through the corridor which includes stairs.

Unfortunately, the elevator to the Cushing Center is not wheelchair-friendly.

Restrooms

A single stall, wheelchair-friendly restroom is located on the main floor just outside of the medical library entrance. The men's and women's restrooms on the E-Level both have wheelchair-friendly stalls.

Service Animals

Service animals are allowed in all Yale libraries; this includes dogs and miniature horses only. Support animals such as birds and pigs are not allowed in libraries.

Services & Support

The following are examples of services available to persons with disabilities. This is not an exhaustive list. If you need help, please don't hesitate to ask!

Retrieving books and other materials from stacks
Assistance finding books and periodicals housed in Yale libraries
Mail to Address service for library materials
Extension of reserves or loan periods or modification of other lending rules on an individual basis when possible
Telephone assistance with finding out the status of an item on Orbis, the online catalog. On an individual basis, library staff will check to see if an item is on the shelf
Access to microform readers, computers, and other pieces of information technology
Assistance with photocopying of a limited number of pages from books and journals
Advice about access to specialized online information sources
Explanations and descriptions of sources of specialized information
Help with bibliographic citations
All desktops are equipped with screen readers. Instructions for how to use screen readers are available here: Windows | Mac

Consultations & Classes

Virtual consultations and meetings are available for anyone who would prefer to meet remotely. Please let us know if you would like automatic transcription turned on. Additionally, the option to record your consultation is available depending on everyone's comfort level.

Many of the medical library's classes are offered virtually. If there is a class you'd like to attend but it's only offered in-person, please get in touch with the instructor as we may be able to offer the class as a hybrid in-person/virtual.

HathiTrust Access for Yale Users with Print Disabilities

Eligible students, faculty and staff at Yale can receive access to in-copyright materials in HathiTrust. The materials must either be held currently, or have been held previously, at Yale University Library.

Access to material is available to users with a print disability for which access to digital copies of library books is an appropriate accommodation. A print disability may be a visual impairment, learning disability, physical disability or other disability that impedes a person's ability to access standard print.

Access is governed by one of two Yale University Offices:

Note you must be registered with the appropriate office listed above as a person with a print disability.

How to Access Materials in HathiTrust

Go to the Advanced Full-text Search in HathiTrust and Log in.
Choose Yale University from the drop down list and log in using your Yale NetID and password.
Be sure to check the box for Held by Yale University under Limit to.
Run the search.
If the book you want is listed, copy and paste two pieces of information into an email to carolyn.barrett@yale.edu:
- URL (example: https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/002224166/Home)
- Citation (use Cite this) (example: Di Piero, W. S. (1990). The dog star. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press.)
The Yale University Library will then retrieve a PDF of the item from HathiTrust, post it on a secure site, and send an email notification that the item is available.

Physical Accessibility at Other Yale Libraries

Most of the Yale libraries are wheelchair-accessible. For more detailed information on how to access wheelchair-accessible entrances, please visit the Physical Accessibility Information page.