John Carter Brown Library

John Carter Brown Library. The John Carter Brown Library is a renowned research library located on the campus of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and is known for its extensive collections of rare books, manuscripts, and other materials related to the history of the Americas, including North America, South America, and the Caribbean. The library is named after John Carter Brown, a prominent American book collector and member of the Brown University family, who was also a fellow of the American Antiquarian Society and a trustee of the Boston Athenaeum. The library's collections are particularly strong in the areas of Spanish colonization of the Americas, Portuguese colonization of the Americas, and the history of cartography, with notable works by Gerardus Mercator, Abraham Ortelius, and Hernán Cortés.

● History

The John Carter Brown Library was founded in 1846, when John Carter Brown donated his collection of rare books and manuscripts to Brown University. Over the years, the library has grown significantly, with major additions to its collections, including the acquisition of the Harris Collection of American books and manuscripts, which includes works by Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington. The library has also been supported by notable figures such as J. Pierpont Morgan, who was a member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a trustee of the New York Public Library, and Henry E. Huntington, who was a member of the Huntington Library and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. The library's history is closely tied to that of Brown University, which was founded in 1764 by Nicholas Brown, Moses Brown, John Brown, and James Manning, and has been associated with notable institutions such as the American Philosophical Society and the Massachusetts Historical Society.

● Collections

The John Carter Brown Library's collections are among the most extensive and significant in the world, with over 50,000 rare books, 10,000 manuscripts, and numerous other materials, including maps, prints, and photographs. The library's collections are particularly strong in the areas of exploration and discovery, colonial history, and early American printing, with notable works by Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Juan Ponce de León. The library also has significant holdings related to the history of science, including works by Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, and Carl Linnaeus, as well as the history of medicine, with works by Hippocrates, Galen, and Andreas Vesalius. The library's collections are used by scholars from around the world, including those from Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Oxford, and have been consulted by notable researchers such as Jared Sparks, George Bancroft, and Francis Parkman.

● Architecture

The John Carter Brown Library is housed in a beautiful Beaux-Arts building, designed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, and completed in 1904. The building features a grand reading room, with a soaring ceiling and large windows, as well as extensive stack areas, where the library's collections are housed. The building has undergone several renovations and expansions over the years, including a major renovation in the 1990s, which added new stack areas and improved the library's climate control systems, and was supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The library's building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of the Library of Congress's National Digital Library Program.

● Exhibitions

The John Carter Brown Library mounts several exhibitions each year, showcasing its collections and highlighting the research and scholarship of its users. Recent exhibitions have included shows on the history of cartography, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and the early history of the United States, with loans from institutions such as the British Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and the National Archives and Records Administration. The library also participates in exhibitions and programs with other institutions, such as the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, and the Smithsonian Institution, and has collaborated with scholars from University of California, Berkeley, University of Chicago, and Columbia University.

● Education and Research

The John Carter Brown Library is a major center for research and education, with a strong focus on the history of the Americas and related fields. The library offers a range of fellowships and research grants, including the National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship and the Fulbright Program, which support scholars from around the world, including those from University of Cambridge, University of London, and Sorbonne University. The library also offers a range of educational programs, including lectures, workshops, and seminars, which are open to the public and are often co-sponsored with institutions such as the American Historical Association, the Organization of American Historians, and the Society of American Archivists. The library's education and research programs are supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

● Conservation and Digitization

The John Carter Brown Library is committed to the conservation and digitization of its collections, with a range of programs and initiatives aimed at preserving its rare and fragile materials for future generations. The library has a state-of-the-art conservation laboratory, where its conservators work to repair and stabilize damaged materials, using techniques developed by institutions such as the Library of Congress and the Getty Conservation Institute. The library is also actively engaged in digitization efforts, with a range of projects aimed at making its collections more widely available, including partnerships with institutions such as the Internet Archive, the Google Books project, and the Digital Public Library of America. The library's conservation and digitization programs are supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Council on Library and Information Resources.