Welcome
to the John Hay Library! Built in 1910, the Library was named after John
Hay, Class of 1858, who served as Abraham Lincoln's junior private secretary
from 1860 to 1865 and who died in 1905 while serving as Secretary of State under
Theodore Roosevelt. The John Hay Library housed the entire Brown University Library
collection until 1964 when the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Library was
built. In 1971, when the Sciences Library was built, the John Hay Library
became exclusively a repository for rare books, manuscripts, special
collections and University Archives. The Library's non-circulating
collections are available for use by all researchers whether affiliated with
Brown or not.
As you pass through the lobby notice the bust of John Hay
executed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The nose has been rubbed shiny by generations
of Brown students in the hope that doing so would bring good luck. (Use your
mouse pointer for a virtual nose-rubbing experience.) On the wall
behind the bust is an inscription in memory of John Hay: "Poet, Historian,
Diplomatist, Statesman, who maintained the Open Door and the Golden Rule."
(A
handicapped entrance is available at the rear of the building. Please
press the buzzer and our staff will meet and escort you by elevator to the
first floor.)
Beyond the lobby, staff at the Reader Services desk are ready to orient you to the library
and assist you in locating materials. Reference and curatorial staff with expert knowledge of
the collections are on call for research consultation. If you are not a member of the Brown or RISD communities, we will ask you to fill out a 
Reader Registration Form.
Josiah, the Library's online catalog, is available at a cluster of workstations which also
provide access to the internet as well as to over 80 subscription databases and over 1,000 electronic journals.
Because not all special collections materials and formats are recorded in Josiah, it is always
advisable to seek staff assistance. The card catalog, frozen in 1989, remains
available for consultation as do many specialized files.
As you
identify materials that you would like to examine,
we will ask you to fill out a call slip (example at left). You can also use our online paging
request form to submit paging requests electronically in advance of your visit. If you hold
a Brown photo I.D. we will photocopy on your first visit and return it to
you; if you hold any other form of I.D., we will retain it while you use
materials. There is no predetermined limit on the number of items which
may be paged. Materials that you wish to consult more than once will be
held together under your name on "personal reserve" for as long as
you need to consult them.
After
you turn in your call slips at the Reader Services desk, please check your
bags and
coats in our coatroom/locker room. You may bring notebooks and any other
loose research materials into the Reading Room, but no bags. We ask that
you use pencil or a personal computer for note-taking to avoid any inadvertent
damage to materials. A supply of pencils is available in the Reading Room
and each table is equipped with a surge protector. While you are checking your
belongings, our staff will be working to locate and deliver your requests.
The
door to the Reading Room is kept locked to prevent unauthorized entry.
Reader Services desk staff will be happy to 'buzz you in'. On the counter
to your left is the Reading Room Register. Please sign in and out.
This register provides us with important statistical and collection-use
information. After signing in, please take a seat and your materials will
be delivered to you promptly. If you have questions about your request,
please check with the Reading Room Monitor. The Reading Room is available
for study and is equipped with a public workstation identical to those in
the Reader Services area. Foam book supports, page snakes, a magnifying
glass and an ultraviolet light (for reading watermarks) are available.
On-demand
staff-operated photocopy services are available, condition and copyright
restrictions permitting. Arrangements can also be
made for color photocopies, microfilm, photographs, slides, and digital scans. A self-service
photographic copy stand is available at no charge. For details see: Reproduction and Publication of Special Collections Material.
When you
are finished your work, bring materials to the Reading Room Monitor to be
discharged or placed on personal reserve. If we have retained your I.D.,
it will be returned at this point.
A
separate service desk and reading room are available for users of University
Archives, which houses Brown's official records, University publications, theses
and dissertations, and printed, manuscript, graphic, and audio-visual material
about Brown. Reader Services staff will be happy to direct you to the
Archives.
We
welcome your comments and suggestions to hay@brown.edu.
