The following is a press release written by the Yiddish Book Center:
After nearly a decade in development, a groundbreaking new initiative—the Universal Yiddish Library (UYL)—has launched as a public beta, bringing together the Yiddish book collections of four major institutions: the Yiddish Book Center, the National Library of Israel (NLI), the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, and the New York Public Library (NYPL). For the first time, more than 60,000 Yiddish book records can be searched in a single catalog, offering unprecedented access to the world’s Yiddish literature.
The Universal Yiddish Library’s platform allows users to search across the combined collections and link directly to the owning institutions’ catalogs. Of these 60,000+ records, nearly 20,000 books have already been digitized, and over 18,000 are currently fully searchable via OCR (optical character recognition)—making this the largest digital collection of searchable, full-text Yiddish books ever created. With the platform now live, partners will continue identifying and scanning additional titles. The catalog also allows participating libraries to determine which books are unique, helping guide future preservation work and digitization.
“We estimate we’re about halfway to our goal of scanning the complete Yiddish holdings,” said Amber Kanner Clooney, the Yiddish Book Center’s director of web development and the Digital Library project lead. “This collaboration ensures we’re not duplicating efforts and can focus our resources on what matters most: safeguarding what hasn’t yet been digitized and making it available to everyone.”
The initiative was first envisioned by Aaron Lansky, founder of the Yiddish Book Center, in a conversation with Oren Weinberg, director of the National Library of Israel. The Universal Yiddish Library marks the culmination of the Center’s years-long effort—combining preservation, technology, and collaboration—to make Yiddish literature more widely available.
“Forty-five years ago, when the Yiddish Book Center began, many believed that Yiddish literature was on the brink of extinction,” said Aaron Lansky, founder and president of the Yiddish Book Center. “Now thanks to new technology—and a new spirit of collaboration—Yiddish is well on its way to becoming the most accessible literature on earth. As I approach my own retirement, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting culmination of everything we hoped to accomplish.”
“Researchers, students, and readers can now explore a critical mass of Yiddish literature through a single search,” said Susan Bronson, executive director and incoming president of the Yiddish Book Center. “This transformative resource creates new opportunities for engagement with Yiddish culture.”
The Universal Yiddish Library is open to additional institutional partners with Yiddish book collections. By contributing records and scans, new collaborators can help grow what is already the most comprehensive digital resource for Yiddish books ever assembled. If you are interested in discussing potential partnerships, please contact Amber Kanner Clooney at aclooney@yiddishbookcenter.org.
To explore the universal Yiddish Library and search the collections, visit universalyiddishlibrary.org.
Major support for the Universal Yiddish Library has been generously provided by the David Berg Foundation, the Abby J. and David Cohen Family Foundation, the David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Michael (z”l) and Linda J. Schmelzer, Robert and Nina Schor, and Josh Weston.
About the Yiddish Book Center:
The Yiddish Book Center recovers, preserves, teaches, and celebrates Yiddish literature and culture to advance a fuller understanding of Jewish history and identity. Over the span of 45 years, the Center has launched an extensive array of bibliographic, educational, and cultural initiatives and programs. For additional information, visit yiddishbookcenter.org.