Coming to the Library
The Reading Room at Yad Vashem in the Archive/Library building is open 8:30 AM-17:00 PM Sunday-Thursday.
Library material may be ordered from 8:30 AM until 15:00 PM. The Reading Room is closed on Jewish holidays.
Special opening hours for intermediate days of festivals ("Hol Hamoed") or for other special days are announced on the home page of the Yad Vashem website.
The Reading Room staff provides service for material from the Yad Vashem Library, Archives and Hall of Names.
There is a small collection of books in the reading room. The vast majority of the collection is housed in the storage room (stacks) which are not accessible to the public. Library material must be ordered by filling out a form and submitting it to the lending counter. Orders are usually brought from the stacks to the lending counter within half an hour.
Library materials can be requested from 8:30 AM until 15:00 PM.
Library materials will be kept at the lending counter by request of the reader for up to a week.
If a book is in the reading room a number will appear in the "Reading Room" field.
You need the shelf number, the title, and author of the book.
Online ordering is not available.
Yes. Self-service copying machines are available and full service photocopying is available on request, both entail fees. Note that our readers are obligated to abide by copyright laws.
Within the regulations of "fair usage" the Library can scan material for readers. Please contact us about scanning and in most cases a fee is charged for this service
With the exception of borrowing books to be taken home, Library services are open to all.
Borrowing books
Yad Vashem staff, residents of Israel over the age of 18 and Research Fellows of the Yad Vashem International Holocaust Research Institute.
For readers who are not Yad Vashem staff or Research Fellows, Library membership is a prerequisite for borrowing books.
Library membership costs 100 NIS for half a year and 150 NIS for a full year.
A library member can borrow up to 3 books at a time for up to a month. In most cases, the loan period can be extended for an additional month by contacting the lending counter and requesting an extension.
The Yad Vashem Library encourages young researchers to use our resources. Coordinators of educational and research programs can contact the library to request a reduced price membership for their students.
Yes. Please call: 02-6443745 or submit the online form.
Please note that the extension is for a period of a month. One can only extend books twice.
The majority of books can be borrowed.
However the following categories of books cannot be borrowed:
- Rare books
- Albums
- MA theses and PhD dissertations
- Very small books
- Reference works in the reading room
- Books that were published before 1950
- Fragile materials
Periodicals (journals and newspapers) can only be viewed in the reading room
This depends on the specific item. Please ask a staff member in the Reading Room or contact the Library to clarify such requests.
Use of the catalogue
The catalogue contains records for books and periodicals in the Yad Vashem Library in Jerusalem, the branch library in Givatayim and material in our Pedagogical Center.
In most cases articles appearing in periodicals or books do not appear as separate items in the catalogue.
In most cases no. Note that other repositories of Yad Vashem do include online material including the Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names, the Photo Archive, the Documents Archive, the Holocaust Resource Center and more.
The Library classifies books by giving them subject headings. There are over 9,000 such headings. One can make Boolean searches on multiple subject headings in order to refine a given search. For very complex searches we suggest asking the Reading Room staff for assistance or contacting us by email.
The subject headings are strictly in English. You can search by subject heading.
Yes. You can do them in any language. Any list of words in a field will be related to as if there is an "and" between them.
No. Use the "Refine your search" option in lieu of an advanced search. Do a broad search and using the "Refine your search" search for the exact item you need.
Donating books to the library
If you would like to send us a new publication about the Holocaust, please feel free to do so. If you want to send us other material, please send us an email or fax with a list of items you would like to donate. Please include the author's name, title and year of publication of each item. Since we have limited storage space we cannot accept every item offered, especially if we already hold one or more copies. The Library collects books and scholarly articles, but we do not collect newspaper clippings. Please do not send us material, other than new publications, without contacting us first. The Library maintains the right not to incorporate in its collection received material when the subject matter is inappropriate or when enough copies already exist in the Library collection. When items are sent to us and we determine that they should not be added to the collection, the Library reserves the right to pass them on to other institutions or individuals. For any questions regarding donations please contact the Library.
We accept PDF and Word format material. To donate other types of digital material please contact the Library.
You may post the item directly to the Yad Vashem Library or make contact with the Library offices first to arrange a meeting to present us with it. If the item is in Hebrew, please send us two copies if possible (one for the Library in Jerusalem and one for our branch in Beit Volhyn, Givatayim).
Please mail items to: Yad Vashem Library, PO Box 3477, Jerusalem 9103401 Israel
Please note that the Library collects published material about the Holocaust and related subjects, but it does not publish or sell such material. If you would like to publish a manuscript about the Holocaust or purchase a Yad Vashem publication, please contact Yad Vashem's Publications Department or visit our online store.
Publications Department: publications.office@yadvashem.org.il
Online store
Queries about Library, Archive or Hall of Names materials, or specific historical information.
Phones: Extending borrowed items, 972-2-6443745; donations, 972-2-6443530
Fax: 972-2-6443663
Mailing Address: Yad Vashem Library, PO Box 3477, Jerusalem 9103401, Israel
