Spouses and Domestic Partners
Spouses and Domestic Partners
Yale recognizes marriages (opposite- and same-sex) as well as civil unions or legal partnerships created by states, regardless of name (“spouse”). If you are the spouse of a Yale faculty or staff member, or student, you are eligible for a Yale ID and free library access and borrowing.
If you are not considered a spouse by the university but are the long-term partner of a Yale faculty member, staff member, or student, the library offers a separate option for access and borrowing (“domestic partner”). This borrowing status is unrelated to the university’s or state’s definition of your relationship.
Note: Spouses of Yale alumni are eligible for alumni privileges. Please go to the Alumni section for more information (coming soon).
Spouses
Spouses of Yale faculty, students and staff are eligible for borrowing privileges at the library at no charge. These privileges include:
- Cost: Free
- Book loan period: 2 months
- Number of books/loans: 50
- Number of Yale Film Archive items: 20
- Access to Sterling Memorial and Bass Library after 6 pm, when an ID is required to enter the building
- NetID access to public computer terminals
- Access to the Yale Secure network while on campus
Spouses are not eligible for Scan and Deliver, Borrow Direct, Interlibrary Loan services or remote access to library resources.
The spouse must bring required documentation and identification to the Yale University ID Center to get a Yale University ID Card. Once you have your ID Card, you need to visit the Sterling Memorial Library service desk to set up your library account. Borrowing privileges expire on June 30th each year and are renewable for the duration of spouses’ appointment at Yale.
Domestic Partners
Yale faculty, student and staff may sponsor his/her long-term domestic partner for borrowing privileges at the Yale Library as a member of the Yale community. Pass options include:
| Pass Options | Rates | Books/Loans |
|---|---|---|
| Access Pass | Free | N/A, request 20 items |
| Affiliate Borrower | $50 for six months, renewable | 50 |
Domestic partners who wish to use Yale Library collections should fill out the privileges pre-registration form. When you come to the library to complete the registration process, both you and your partner must register together at the library services desk located in the nave of Sterling Memorial Library. The sponsor and partner both complete and sign the registration form. To register, you will need to provide two forms of ID-one from each column.
| Government Issued ID | Documentation to confirm address shared with sponsor |
|---|---|
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Yale Library accepts credit card payments with American Express, Visa, or Mastercard, checks and cash. We do not accept $50 or $100 bills.