Bass Library Collection

Overview

The Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Library serves as a gateway to the outstanding collections of Yale University Library and promotes user engagement with services offered by Yale Library staff.

In addition to the general collections and course reserves, Bass Library features showcase collections that are designed to encourage students to engage with print collections:

  • Graphic Novels: an actively developed collection of primarily English-language graphic novels that includes classics of the genre. Complements graphic novel collections held in Sterling Memorial Library. 
  • Display Collection: a collection of 20-30 titles, frequently changed and related to timely topics, designed to catch students’ attention and foster discussion.
  • Model Research Collection: a small-scale research collection that models breadth and depth of the subject area, developed in partnership with faculty, students, or other campus constituents on a topic/subject of their proposal. 

Departments/disciplines/programs/subject areas supported

As a gateway to the broad range of materials held in Yale Library, the Bass collection includes titles in the humanities, social sciences, sciences, arts, law, and medicine. Bass Library collections support the curriculum of Yale College. Selected titles may be duplicated in other Yale Libraries or as e-books.  

The collection will be reviewed periodically for representation of race, sexual orientation, and other underrepresented groups to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion.

The Bass collection includes titles recommended by students through engagement programs, such as the Reading Resilience Project, which aims to highlight voices of commonly underrepresented people in library collections.

Formats collected

Print monographs and monographic series.

Graphic novels.

Languages collected

The collection is primarily English language. Faculty may recommend foreign-language titles.

Foreign-language graphic novels are collected for Sterling Memorial Library.

Collaborations within Yale

The steward of the Bass Library collection will engage with liaison and subject expert librarians across Yale Library to ensure appropriate subject representation and balance, alignment with the Yale College curriculum, and relationship to other Yale library collections.

Subject Librarian

Head of Collection Strategy