Children and Young Adults

Members of the Yale University community will occasionally need to bring their children with them to the library. The library’s paging and Eli Express services may serve as a convenience for parents or caregivers, particularly those with young children, as they provide for placing requests through Orbis in advance so that materials will be waiting for pickup at a selected circulation desk. Please be aware of the following when bringing young people to the library:

In areas where Yale University-issued identification is not required:

• An adult must accompany children under the age of 14 at all times.
• Teenagers aged 14-17 who are not Yale students may meet adult members of the Yale community for educational purposes (e.g. tutoring) unaccompanied by another adult. The teen should be prepared to show a high school ID or an explanatory letter from a sponsoring organization (e.g. Dwight Hall).

In areas where Yale University-issued identification is required for entry to public spaces (e.g. the SML stacks):

• Children and young adults may enter when accompanying an adult with valid ID.
• Parents and caregivers are asked to be with the young people at all times.

Notes:

• As with adults, any bags, backpacks, books, etc. carried by young people must be presented for inspection when leaving the library.
• High school students and younger are not eligible to obtain library services unless affiliated with a program recognized by Yale University according to the Library Privileges guidelines.
• School and Department libraries or special collections (e.g. Manuscripts and Archives) may have their own policies concerning access by young people. Please inquire at individual libraries and departments for details.