John Carter Brown Library

The John Carter Brown Library is a research library on the Brown University campus that holds over 50,000 rare books, maps, and manuscripts. These materials document early North and South American history from first European contact through the period of independence.

The library was founded in 1846 as the private collection of merchant John Carter Brown, who gathered rare American texts during his travels in Europe. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, the collection grew through purchases and donations into one of the leading archives for studying early American history.

The library holds significant works like the Bay Psalm Book and a Shakespeare Folio that researchers and students can study. These collections reflect the intellectual curiosity of earlier generations and show which texts people in America considered most valuable.

The library is located on the Brown University grounds and is open to visitors who wish to view the collections and participate in exhibitions. Staff members can assist with questions and many materials are also viewable through the online portal.

The collection includes one of only four known surviving copies of Benjamin Franklin's 'A Dissertation on Liberty and Necessity' from the colonial period. This rare document reveals Franklin's philosophical thinking during an early stage before he achieved widespread fame.