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."

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). Items will be paged four times a day: twice in the morning at 9:30 and 11:30 and twice in the afternoon, 2:00 and 3:30. Materials with a location of “Annex Hay” require two business days advance notice. 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, computers, digital cameras, and any other loose research materials into the Reading Room, but no bags. Food and drink are not allowed in the Reading Room. In addition, personal scanners are not allowed in the Reading Room. 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.

On the counter at the Reader Services desk is the Reading Room Register. Please sign in and out. This register provides us with important statistical and collection-use information.

The door to the Reading Room is kept locked to prevent unauthorized entry. Reader Services desk staff will be happy to 'buzz you 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.

We welcome your comments and suggestions to hay@brown.edu.