John Carter Brown Library, Academic Jewel for 19th Century History
The John Carter Brown Library of Brown University in Providence (the capital of Rhode Island) offers writing-themed exhibits open to the public. Visit the Exhibitions page of its website to see the latest. It is located at 94 George Street.
According to its website, “The Library also holds the papers of bookseller, author, and Rhode Island Secretary of State John Russell Bartlett (1805–1886), including records and artwork generated during his tenure as Boundary Commissioner for the establishment of the border between the United States and Mexico in the 1850s. Bartlett served as a mentor to John Carter Brown in the development of the Library, and compiled its first catalog, the Bibliotheca Americana. The Library’s own archives also serve as a rich resource for the history of the book trade.”
Beyond these efforts, John Russell Bartlett is widely known for publishing the Dictionary of Americanisms, a classic of American slang. Read more about John Russell Bartlett here: britannica.com.
Indigenous Languages Collection
The Library also houses an impressive and world-renowned Indigenous Language Collection. According to its website, “The Library’s Indigenous Languages collection – with materials ranging in origin from the Arctic to Patagonia – serves as an open invitation for scholars, interested publics, and bearers of traditional tribal knowledge throughout the Americas to explore the JCB’s materials with an eye toward recovering linguistic traditions and challenging interpretations that have been garnered over centuries.”
Brown University Writers
Brown University is an Ivy League institution and many of its alumni are winners of the Pulitzer Prize, including Marcia Chatelain (2021), Benjamin Moser (2020), Andrew Sean Greer (2018), Lynn Nottage (2009, 2017), David Rohde (1996, 2009), Kathryn Schulz (2016), Alissa J. Rubin (2016), and James Forman Jr. (2018).
This is the first stop on our Rhode Island Author Adventures Trail.
Patricia Smart
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