Brown University Library

Brown University Library is a leading academic library located in Providence, Rhode Island. It is a vital part of Brown University, supporting the institution's teaching and research endeavors. With a staff of 20 employees, the library operates a vast network of five campus buildings and a specialized off-campus storage facility known as the Library Collections Annex, which can accommodate 1.5 million volumes. The Brown University Library boasts an impressive collection of over 7 million volumes, encompassing approximately 2 million ebooks, nearly 150,000 online journals, and more than 500 databases. Furthermore, the library provides access to a wealth of manuscripts and archives spanning over 15,000 linear feet. Recognizing the importance of collaboration, Brown University faculty and students have the privilege of borrowing from the collections of other Ivy League libraries, which collectively hold around 90 million titles. The library also facilitates access to materials from libraries worldwide through interlibrary loan services. The library's diverse collection is housed across specialized buildings. The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library serves as the home for humanities, social sciences, and fine arts collections, while also featuring the Center for Digital Scholarship. This center focuses on cutting-edge digital projects, including the Mellon-funded Digital Publications Initiative. The Sciences Library caters to the needs of researchers in STEM fields, complemented by the George S. Champlin Health Sciences Library, which supports medical students and faculty at the Alpert Medical School. Brown’s prestigious special collections of rare books, manuscripts, archives, and ephemera are showcased in the John Hay Library and the Library Annex. The John Hay Library, a historic Carnegie Library, offers extensive exhibition space, fostering engagement with Brown's unique holdings among students, faculty, and the wider community. The Virginia M. Orwig Music Library houses Brown's extensive music materials, including the Walter Neiman ‘46 Archive of Sound Recordings and over 24,000 musical scores.