Welcome to the Library

Hours | Admission Policy | Directions

Founded in 1822, the Society is the fourth oldest state historical society in the United States. The Society has the largest and most important historical collections in existence relating to Rhode Island. The library houses some 5,000 manuscripts, 100,000 books and printed items, 400,000 photographs and maps, 9 million feet of motion-picture film.  The Museum division holds over 25,000 objects.

The Printed Collection dates from 1589 to the present and includes local, military, economic, social, political, ecclesiastical histories, municipal and corporate publications, and the largest collection of Rhode Island newspapers and pre-1800 imprints. It is especially strong in local civic history, genealogy, environmental and architectural history.

Manuscript collections date from 1635 to the present. The manuscript collection is especially strong in labor and business records, church records, maritime related materials, custom house papers, ship logs, and women’s diaries. The collection represents a rich variety of experience from personal papers of members of the Congressional Congress to the diaries of dairy farmers.

The Graphics collections include photographic and architectural materials, prints, and broadsides.  It is rich in maps, watercolors, drawings, engravings, etchings and ephemera.  Audiovisual holdings contain feature and news film, and sound recordings.

Hours:

 Wednesday-Friday: 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.
2nd Saturday of the Month: 10:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. 
(Also view our 2009 Holidays, Closings and Event Calendar)

Paging Schedule:  Many materials are stored in our closed stack area and are paged by the library staff and brought to the Reading Room for your review.  We retrieve materials from the stacks at the following times:

Please note: Library materials in our online catalog marked "Reading Room" are on the open shelves and can be accessed by patrons. All other materials must be requested and will be retrieved from the stacks at the times noted in the Paging Schedule.

Admission Policy:

All patrons making their first visit to the library must fill out a registration form (pdf).  The form serves as a consent that patrons will adhere to the policies of the library while conducting their research. Patrons will also be asked to show valid government issued photo identification at that time, such as a driver's license or passport.  

There is a $5.00 daily admission fee for non-Rhode Island residents. Rhode Island residents, RIHS members and children under the age of 12 are admitted free of charge.  Children under the age of 16 are required to be accompanied by an adult.  RIHS members must show a valid membership card for free admission.  Information on becoming a member can be found here.  All patrons must fill out a new registration form each year.

Directions:

The library is located at 121 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02906. We've provided directions from major local highways. Exact driving directions from your location can also be obtained at Mapquest.com or Google Maps.

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