Introduction to the Brown University Library

The John Hay Library for Special Collections and John Carter Brown Library are open to all students, although you have to request material ahead of time. There's an amazing array of works from ancient times to the present, created by and about both famous and ordinary people. It is a great resource for research!

(by the way, the main reading room of the Hay does NOT require an appointment and is a beautiful place to study.)

For more detailed information about finding and using primary sources, please see this guide:

Primary Sources Original record of events, such as a diary, a newspaper article, a public record, or scientific documentation. Primary sources in print are usually located in the John Hay Library. We also have many databases of primary source material in many subject areas.

Special Collections Materials that have specialized importance that provide evidence of a time or process or due to their subject matter, age, uniqueness, or value. These materials are typically used as primary sources that the researcher interprets in their own scholarship. All materials in our Special Collections must be used in the Special Collections Reading Room.