The Whitney Library
Visiting the Whitney Library
We are excited to welcome you back to the Whitney Library this fall. The Library is open to researchers by appointment only, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Please note our guidelines and rules to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for patrons and staff. We reserve the right to make changes as new guidance and updates are received from the Connecticut governor’s office and the CDC.
Whitney Library Guidelines and Rules
- The library is open to researchers by appointment only.
- The library is limited to one researcher at a time.
- All research appointments are limited to 2 hours per day, per person.
- Guests are requested to remain in their designated research space.
- All research materials will be retrieved by the librarian.
- All research materials will be shelved by the librarian.
- The copier and scanner are not for public use. The librarian will assist with any duplication, photocopying, or scanning of items.
- All medically able visitors over the age of two are required to properly wear a face mask at all times while inside the Whitney Library and the New Haven Museum.
The New Haven Museum and Whitney Library are cleaned daily on an enhanced scheduled.
To Make an Appointment
To discuss your research project, please contact librarian Ed Surato at library@newhavenmuseum.org or 203.562.4183, ext. 115. Please allow 72 hours in advance of your intended visit. Please note that reservations cannot be made through the Eventbrite ticketing system.
The Whitney Library of the New Haven Museum is a unique resource center concerning the history of New Haven and its families from the time of the New Haven Colony in the 17th century to the present. 
Founded in 1862, the Library provides the materials and assistance required by the scholar and the student of the history and genealogy of New Haven.
Collections include 30,000 printed works, 300 manuscript collections, architectural drawings, maps, broadsides, newspapers, scrapbooks, photographs, and microfilm.
The Whitney Library services over 1,300 researchers each year, including college students, professors, genealogists, local historians, and many others who are interested in their houses, families, businesses, and towns.
The following pages provide additional information about the resources and research opportunities available at the Whitney Library.
- Catalog of Manuscript Collections in the Whitney Library
- Research Guides
- Library Services
- 1641 Brockett Map
If you are interested in rights and reproductions information with regard to research for publications, film and other media please see the Rights and Reproduction Information.
To contact the Library, call (203) 562-4183 x15 or email library@newhavenmuseum.org.
