The late Daniel G. Siegel ‘57 — a longstanding and steadfast Friend of the Library and special collections donor — understood the impact directly studying rare and unique special collections can have on a student's educational experience. To honor Dan's legacy of generosity, his areas of collecting interest, and his advocacy for special collections and undergraduate students, the Library and the Friends of the Library are dedicating membership funds to the Friends of the Library Daniel G. Siegel '57 Fellowship — the first named award in the John Hay Library Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
The Friends are seeking to fully endow the fellowship so that it can operate in perpetuity. Your paid membership with the Friends of the Library will directly support this unique and impactful research opportunity for Brown undergraduate students.
Join the Friends today online. Or contact Jennifer Braga at Jennifer_Braga@brown.edu or 401-863-6913. If you prefer, please print a membership form and mail to the following address: Friends of the Library, John D. Rockefeller Library, Box A, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912.
Levels of Membership
| $25.00 | Student |
| $45.00 | Brown Faculty & Staff |
| $60.00 | General |
| $100-$499 | Sponsor |
| $500-$999 | Patron |
| $1,000–$4,999 | Benefactor |
| $5,000 | Nicholas Brown Society |
The Friends is an association devoted to promoting the growth and usefulness of the University Library and to encouraging gifts to it both of funds and of books, desirable collections, and other scholarly materials.
Friends are invited to Library lectures, exhibits and special events. Every year the Friends of the Library host a speaker through the Don Wilmeth Endowed Lectureship in American Theatre, established by the University in honor of Professor Don Wilmeth, FOL board member, and his monumental contribution to the study of theatre at Brown. Past visiting lecturers have included Laurence Maslon (2005), Jim Steinmeyer (2007), Christopher Bigsby (2008), Laura Linney (2008), Lynn Nottage (2010), and Bill Irwin (2011). In 2012, actor and musician Jude Ciccolella '69 spoke and performed music at Leeds Theatre.
The Friends also host events through the Mel and Cindy Yoken Cultural Series, bringing Art Buchwald (2005) and Adam Gopnik (2006) to campus, and more recently Dorie Greenspan (2011) and Dr. Guila Clara Kessous (2012), among others.
And, in 2012 the Friends of the Library were pivotal in creating Brown's Thriller Writers Archive, and celebrated the formation of the Archive with a panel discussion and book signing featuring David Baldacci, Steve Berry, Nelson DeMille, Lisa Gardner, and R.L. Stine. The discussion was moderated by Jon Land '79.
Finally, thanks to Josiah S. Carberry, long-time Friend of the Library and Brown professor of psychoceramics, every Friday the 13th the University celebrates Carberry Day. In honor of the day, Josiah lectures on his research and friends of the University deposit their loose change in brown jugs to augment the Josiah S. Carberry Fund which is used to purchase "such books as Professor Carberry might or might not approve of."
Along with encouraging gifts, Friends of the Library board members have themselves given generously to the Library over the years. Significant gifts include donations of their own work, such as the personal papers of Jon Land '79, and Don Wilmeth's ADE '70 hon. teaching archives, as well as materials from their personal collections, such as S. T. Joshi's '80 AM'82 H.P. Lovecraft materials, Tom '72 and Antonia '74 Bryson's Dance Collection, and Daniel G. Siegel's '57 manuscript of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.
Friends of the Library membership does not include access or borrowing privileges. The Library offers free access and free borrowing privileges to all Brown degree holders. Alumni may request a free Library access card by visiting the circulation desk at Rockefeller Library. To receive borrowing privileges, please follow the steps available here. Anyone else with a research need may purchase building access cards for specified periods at the following rates: Building access card, one year $75.00. Building access card, six months $50.00. Borrowing cards, one year $400.00. These cards may be used for borrowing Brown-owned material only. Other restrictions may apply. Use of licensed electronic resources is restricted to current Brown students, faculty, and staff.
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