The John Carter Brown Library is a private, non-profit, independently funded and administered institution for advanced research in history and the humanities, founded in 1846 and located at Brown University since 1901. The Library holds one of the world's leading collections of books, maps, and manuscripts relating to the colonial period of the Americas, North and South, from 1492 to ca. 1825. In fulfillment of its mission, the Library offers fellowships, sponsors lectures and conferences, regularly mounts exhibitions for the public, and publishes catalogues, bibliographies, facsimiles, and other works that interpret its holdings.

Founded: 1846, with access by appointment only; opened to the general public in a new building on the Brown University campus green, 1904.

Holdings: 50,000 rare books (pre-1825 imprints) all relating to the Americas, North and South; plus early maps and prints; manuscripts; 16,000 specialized reference books (post-1825).

Researchers: Over 35 fellowships awarded annually to scholars from the U.S. and abroad; researchers come to the Library from virtually every state and many foreign countries. An average of 350 scholars use the Library every year.

Staff: 10 full-time professionals; permanent support staff of 8.

Board of Governors: 21 members.

Exhibitions: An average of 3 per year, open to the public and visited annually by approximately 4,000 people.

Associates: Founded in 1944, the JCB Associates has some 850 members from 40 states and 23 foreign countries. Associates' contributions provide 3 percent of the Library's annual budget.

Physical Plant: The Library is housed in a Beaux-Arts style building, designed originally by Shepley, Rutan, and Coolidge, which opened in 1904. This original building was expanded in 1991, retaining the classical style, by the Washington, D.C., architects Hartman-Cox. Total public, stack, and office space in the original building and the new Caspersen wing is approximately 30,000 net square feet.

Collection highlights: Among the 2 or 3 largest collections in the world of early European accounts of North and South America, beginning with seven 15th-century editions of Columbus's "letter" announcing the discovery; most complete collection in the world of Mexican and Peruvian imprints before 1800; largest collection of pre-1822 imprints in the U.S. relating to colonial Brazil; most complete collection in the world of American Revolutionary pamphlets printed in both Britain and America; finest collection of sources in the U.S. for the study of early Canada and the Caribbean; nearly 3/4ths of all known imprints in the native languages of North and South America from the colonial period.

Programs: Lectures, conferences, publications (about 2 a year), as well as fellowships.

Annual budget: Approximately $3 million.

Director: Edward L. Widmer

Telephone: (401) 863-2725

E-mail: JCBL_Information@Brown.edu

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