Research Special Collections | Redwood Library and Athenæum

Research Tools

The Redwood Library's rare book holdings can be searched in our on-line catalog and in our physical card catalogs. Not all holdings are recorded in the on-line catalog. Visit our on-line catalog to begin your search, use the Advanced Search tab to limit your search to specific collections, items, or dates, and use the sidebar to refine each search. For more information on some of our named collections, visit the Rare Book Collections page of our website to read through the descriptions and major themes and focuses of collections. Contact our reference email at reference@redwoodlibrary.org if you have any questions about using our online catalog or if you need any help accessing our physical card catalogs.

Finding aids for all processed collections can be found online via RIAMCO: Rhode Island Archival and Manuscript Collections Online, a consortium in which the Redwood Library participates. A complete listing of all processed collections can be found here: Archival & Manuscript Collections and the linked finding aid number will take you to the correct finding aid on RIAMCO.org. The easiest way to search the holdings of the Redwood Library on RIAMCO is to visit the Advanced Search tab, limit the institutions to the Redwood Library & Atheaneum, and then enter your keyword search on the top of the page. If you have any questions about using RIAMCO or accessing or archival and manuscript collections, please contact our reference email.

Our fine art and decorative arts collections are accessible online through PastPerfect Online. This site allows users to do keyword and advanced searches through our collections, or view random images to get an idea for the scope of our collection. Our photo collections will soon be available through PastPerfect Online as well. Please contact our reference email with any questions about how to use the site or if you require any additional information about any of our objects or portraits. If you would like to reproduce any of these images for personal research or usage in a publication or lecture, view the tab below to learn more.

Digitized Collections

In 2011, the Redwood Library began a collaboration with the John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. The goal was to have each institution select unique materials from their collection that shed light on life in early Colonial America. The documents were then scanned using the state-of-the-art facilities at Brown University. Through the generosity of the donors who helped fund this project, 41 volumes of the Redwood’s most valuable books and manuscripts are now available to researchers around the world through the Internet Archive. Visit the homepage of the Redwood Library's digitized collections on Internet Archive by clicking on the first link below. Click on any of the following images to go straight to some of our individual collections that have been digitized as a part of this project. If you have any questions about these items, or if you would like to view any of these in person at the Redwood Library, please contact a reference librarian by emailing reference@redwoodlibrary.org.

Reference Services

The Redwood Library welcomes reference requests from members of the library as well as non-members. Researchers may contact our reference staff by email, at reference@redwoodlibrary.org or by phone (401-847-0292) to request basic information and schedule reference appointments for further research.

Reference appointments are required for research visits and all access to Special Collections.

Our hours for reference services are Monday-Friday 1:00-5:00 p.m. Scheduled appointments with reference staff are available during these times and are provided free of charge to library members and students. Non-members are charged $20 for the first visit and $10 for any additional visits on the same research topic.

Photocopies are permitted for items from the general circulating and reference collections. Staff must assist with any requests to photocopy Special Collections material and we reserve the right to deny requests for photocopies of fragile materials. Personal photos of Special Collections material are allowed for research use only. If you require an image of something from our collections for usage in a publication or lecture, please view the tab below on our Image Reproduction and Usage policies and fees.

Preparation for conducting research: Researchers may want to search the on-line catalog before visiting the library. There are approximately 66,000 titles in the online catalog, including all of our Newport-related titles and the Original 1747 Collection. Researchers should keep in mind that the bulk of our collection, approximately 140,000 volumes, is found only in our card catalog in the library. Patrons will want to search in both catalogs to find all of the works that may be relevant to their research. View the Research Tools tab above to find all of our on-line search tools.

Using the collections: The Redwood Library staff will be glad to help all researchers conduct research using both our on-line catalog, card catalog, finding aids, and additional resources. We will be glad to help scholars of all ages and research levels find materials in both the circulating and special collections. Patrons conducting introductory or secondary research may use the Redwood’s very rich circulating collections with materials dating back to the 1870s. Patrons conducting primary research requiring the use of the Special Collections will be invited to work with a reference librarian in the Slocum Scholars' Reading Room.

Image Reproduction and Usage

The Redwood Library and Athenaeum offers digital reproductions of items in our collections for research, publication, and commercial use.

To submit your request, please email mfarias@redwoodlibrary.org with the information requested below. You may also mail your request to The Redwood Library and Athenaeum, c/o Special Collections, 50 Bellevue Ave., Newport, RI 02840, but please be sure to include the information on this page.
Not all usage and reproduction requests can be accommodated due to possible violation of copyright laws, material format, or preservation concerns.
Orders are subject to Rhode Island state tax unless a non-profit identification number is given.
Prepayment is required for all requests. Upon receipt of payment, the order will be completed as soon as is possible. Orders requiring new photography may take longer.
Permission is granted for one time use only. Material may not be used in any other editions, language or format.
Each additional future use requires an additional request and fee.
It is strictly prohibited to alter, resell, duplicate, or publish any image from the Redwood Library and Athenaeum without prior written consent.
All reproductions must carry the following credit line (either next to each reproduction or in a separate credits section):

Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Newport, Rhode Island

[Name of specific collection or donor, when applicable.]

Failure to credit properly may result in denial of future request of permission.
The applicant will supply the Redwood Library and Athenaeum with two gratis copies of the final publication in which the image is reproduced.
Permission for usage is granted for one time use only.

Please include the following information in your request:

User Information: Name/Organization/Tax Exemption Number/Address/City/State/Zip Code/Email

Image Information: Title/Author, Artist, Creator/Publisher, Producer/ID Number, Call Number

Usage Information: Personal Research/Book/Magazine/Lecture/Website/Film/Exhibit/Other

What are you planning to use this image for?

Please provide us with any and all information available on the publication or production in which the image will be used.

Service Requested:

Image reproduction (for personal research purposes only)

Image reproduction and usage (for publication and commercial use)

Technical Information:

Digital File: TIFF/JPEG/PDF

DPI (Image Quality): 300 dpi/600 dpi (if possible)

If you have any questions about image reproduction and usage, please email mfarias@redwoodlibrary.org.

Contact Us

To schedule a reference appointment or for assistance with any research questions,
please contact our reference staff at reference@redwoodlibrary.org or call 401-847-0292.