Contact
Please contact Library staff to inquire about materials that are not yet available online.
Digital Collections
The Library has committed to converting its entire collection into digital format and to making its collection freely available worldwide.
Digital Repositories
High resolution images from the Library's archive of early American images, map collection, and political cartoon collection are available through Luna. Scans of over 15,000 full books are available through Internet Archive.
Open access and citation
The Library considers its extraordinary collection of books, maps, and prints an inalienable resource that has been protected and curated for nearly two centuries, but it also understands the value these sources have for potential audiences throughout the world. The digital revolution has made sharing the collection easier than ever before, allowing us to adopt an open access policy that will help our materials reach anyone who is interested in using them.
These materials are made available under a Creative Commons License (click here for that policy). By downloading any images from our site, you agree to the terms of that license. We ask that anyone who uses the Library’s material include the following attribution: "Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library." Finally, we would very much look forward to hearing from you if and when you use materials from the Library for publication. E-mail us here.
How to download images
Luna
When looking through images and maps on Luna, take note of the grey 'Export' button on the right upper side of the frame. If you click this button, you can download the item in the size that would best suit your needs. From a small thumbnail to an extra-extra large option.
Internet Archive
On Internet Archive you have the option to download an entire digitized book in a format that suits you. Scroll down past the black frame until you see the white screen with the material's bibliographic description. On the right hand side of this information, you will see a light grey panel labeled "Download Options" where you can choose to download the book as a PDF, Kindle item, among other options.
If you want to download a specific page from a book on Internet Archive, at its best possible quality, you can zoom in the page that you need. Each time you zoom in, a new image will be loaded, with better quality. Then, you can right-click on the page, and select 'Save Image As...'.