LibGuides: Public Humanities: Ebooks and Print Books

Josiah: The Library Catalog

The best place to get started with your research is usually the library catalog, Josiah. It's the big search box found near the top of the library homepage. When you search Josiah, you will be brought to a page of results, divided by format, including books and ebooks, journal articles, journal titles, media such as DVDs and streaming video, and more.

Josiah (Library Catalog)
Josiah searches most of the journal, magazine, and newspaper resources available through Brown’s library databases, as well as most of the library's books and other physical holdings, the Brown University Library Digital Collections, and the Brown Digital Repository. Other types of materials such as dissertations, theses, and library research guides are also included. Josiah also searches the full-text content of the Brown University Library’s ebook collections. Also searchable from the Library homepage

The stacks will not be open for browsing during the spring of 2021. However, you can still borrow print books! When you see a book that you want to borrow, click on the title link. Immediately after the call number you'll see a link to request the book.

For books in the Rock, Orwig, or Sciences, the link will say "Request Item." The book will be retrieved by library staff for you and you'll receive an email telling you that it's ready for pickup. Books will be in bags in the Rock lobby, already checked out to you. You may pick them up during any of the hours that the Rock is open.
For Annex books, the link will say "Item." The same rules will hold regarding pickup
For Hay books, the link will say "Request-Access" and will take you to the Hay's request system, Aeon.

The most important thing to remember: you will need to think ahead! No last minute pickups of print materials. Staff will need time to retrieve and check out the books though we no longer will be enforcing a 72 hour hold.

If you are not on campus this semester and would like to use a print book, contact Karen who will look for an e-version that the library can purchase or temporarily lend to you.

Ebooks

You can search for ebooks with our ebook search tool:

You can also find ebooks using the search box on the homepage. Here’s how:

Do a search for your topic in the search box on the Library homepage.
At the bottom of the “Books” box, click “View Results.”
In the “Limit your search” column, click “Online.”
If prompted, log in using your Brown ID and password.

Interlibrary Loan and Ebooks

Please note that ebooks cannot be borrowed via Interlibrary Loan. If you are not in Providence and need access to a book that we don't have or only have in print, please contact me or another subject librarian and we will work to get you access.