Architectural History of Sterling Memorial Library

Reading Rooms

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Linonia and Brothers Reading Room | Memorabilia Room | Main Reading Room

L&B Reading Room, circa 1930s

The Linonia and Brothers (L&B) Room houses what were formerly the collections of the Linonian Society and the Brothers in Unity; both of these organizations are debating societies founded in the 18th century and still exist today. At the time of Yale’s founding, the university did not teach English literature; the libraries of both the Linonian Society and the Brothers in Unity contained literary volumes and other material not relevant to the university’s early curriculum. The L&B Room was named for the Linonian Society and the Brothers in Unity due to their donation of their book collections to Yale’s library; their library was housed in Linsly Hall before being relocated to SML upon SML’s opening. The L&B Room is paneled in wood and has a Tudor architectural style. 

Today, the L&B Room is a favorite study space among Yale’s students. It hasn’t always been a comfortable space for everyone. Women were not allowed into the space until 1963, when University Librarian James T. Babb sent the following memorandum to library staff:

“By vote of the University Library Committee, effective July 1, 1963, Linonia and Brothers (L&B) Library will be open to the ladies. This decision changes a long-established policy restricting L&B to men only and has been made in recognition of the growing status of women in the Graduate School at Yale.”

Memorabilia Room, undated

Upon Sterling’s opening, the Memorabilia Room housed “books and pamphlets relating to the history of Yale and its schools and departments, all official publications of Yale, undergraduate publications, class records, writings of Yale graduates and biographical materials about them.” Today, those materials form part of Yale’s Manuscripts and Archives department (MSSA). MSSA holds the Yale University Archives and extensive resources on Yale and New Haven history. See the Resources on Yale History Research Guide for more information. 

What was originally the Memorabilia Room has since undergone a few evolutions. First, it became the library’s Arts of the Book Room, which moved to the Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library in 2010. The space was transformed into the International Room in 2010 by Christopher Williams Architects LLC and was renovated in 2014 by Apicella and Bunton to serve as a small lecture and classroom space.

Main Reading Room, 1940

Sterling Memorial Library’s main reading room, now called the Starr Main Reference Room, is one of the most beautiful and beloved study spaces in the library. The room has a wood coffered ceiling with panels filled with tracery. The figures along the cresting (the decorative top border on the wall) represent mediaeval kings, scholars, and churchmen. The ogival windows are decorated with heraldic shields. The room was renovated in 1998 with funds from the Starr Foundation.

Sterling Memorial Library Starr Reading Room, 2021