Programs and Spaces

The University Library is a broad and multi-functional resource for the campus. This includes a number of specialized program units and spaces that make distinctive and significant contributions to Brown's academic mission.

Programs and Spaces

The University Library is a broad and multi-functional resource for the campus. This includes a number of specialized program units and spaces that make distinctive and significant contributions to Brown's academic mission.

Programs

Digital Scholarship

Through its digital scholarship programs, the Library is at the vanguard of scholarship in the digital age. 

The Center for Digital Scholarship — Brown’s digital scholarship hub — provides inspiration, expertise, services, and teaching in digital scholarship methodologies, project development, and publication to Brown faculty, staff, and students. The Doctoral Certificate in Digital Humanities is offered by the Center for Digital Scholarship in partnership with the Cogut Institute for the Humanities. 

A collaboration between the Library and the Dean of the Faculty, Brown University Digital Publications — launched with generous support from the Mellon Foundation — promotes innovative faculty scholarship through both the practice and recognition of new scholarly forms.

CLEAR Engagement

Programs and services provided through the Center for Library Exploration and Research (CLEAR) support student and faculty engagement, co-curricular learning experiences, data-driven research methodologies, and local community engagement across all library locations. 

Health and Biomedical Library Services

Health and Biomedical Library Services (HBLS) provides direct and focused support for Brown’s programs in medicine, public health, and biomedical sciences. HBLS librarians contribute to educational and research excellence by enabling students, researchers, and practitioners to navigate the medical and scientific information landscape.

Research Opportunities & Scholars

The Library is a center for scholarship in its own right and offers a number of opportunities that support researchers at all levels, on campus and beyond. You can find more information about the Library’s current opportunities, listed below, on the Research Opportunities and Scholars website.

Special Collections

The John Hay Library collects and preserves rare and unique materials that promote interdisciplinary research, teaching, and learning and inspire experimentation and creativity. Organized by strategic collecting directions, Brown’s special collections support free and open inquiry through a commitment to equitable access for a global community of students, scholars, and the public.

Spaces

Reserve Rooms, Lockers & Carrels

The Library offers all active Brown undergraduate, graduate, and medical students the opportunity to reserve group study rooms at the Rockefeller and Sciences libraries. Brown students and faculty members can also reserve the A/V Studio, lockers, and carrels in the Rockefeller Library. Visit Reserve Rooms, Lockers & Carrels for details.

Racial Justice Resource Center

Located on the second floor of the Rockefeller Library, the Racial Justice Resource Center is a space for members of the Brown community to create new possibilities for advancing research, instruction, learning, and gathering around ideas of racial justice. 

Sidney E. Frank Digital Studio and Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab

Located in the Rockefeller Library, the Sidney E. Frank Digital Studio and the Patrick Ma Digital Scholarship Lab provide physical spaces for the development, support, and presentation of digital scholarship.

More Spaces to Highlight

In addition to the activated spaces highlighted in the navigation menu, you can find these at the Library:

  • Geospatial and Social Sciences Data Lab or GeoSpace@SciLi (Sciences Library)
  • Friedman Study Center (Sciences Library)
  • Faculty Research Study Rooms (Rockefeller Library)