I got to visit the Yale University Library because I met Rich Richie, curator of Yale's Southeast Asia Collection, when he bought some books from PCIJ while I was still working there. As with just about every librarian I meet, I introduced myself and thought, "Well, maybe we'll meet again someday."
In this case, "someday" came sooner than expected when I learned that a former classmate was working in New Haven, and an editor I met at the SSP Annual Meeting gave me a third reason to pass by New Haven, CT, on my way back to Boston from New York.
I was amazed at the depth of Yale's Philippine collection, but it would not be until I got to Toronto—and learned that many of the books I was borrowing via inter-library loan were from Yale—that I realized that I will eventually have to go back and spend more than just a day looking around.
Rich also introduced me to other Filipinos in the Yale library system, including Edith Baradi, who I would later realize is the author of a bibliography important for my own research. Edith then introduced me to one of her fellow librarians, who showed off her Philippine-made bag when she learned I was Filipino.
Finally, I was under the impression that Yale's Sterling Memorial Library was a church converted into a library, but according to the brief history on the website, it was actually built and designed to be a library.
The photos were taken on 3 August 2006.
Category: Libraries
Yale University Library
