Special Collections

The James P. Adams Library's Special Collections consist of rare and special books, papers, manuscripts, artifacts and collections of source materials on a variety of topics relevant to the RIC community, college programs, and Rhode Island history. Topics include education, ethnic groups in Rhode Island, and socio-political materials.

Special Collections also include the College Archives, a rich repository of the history, records, and memorabilia of Rhode Island College.

Faculty and Student Scholarship, including faculty and alumni publications and student theses, are collected and held by Special Collections. These works may also be submitted to the DigitalCommons@RIC repository.

The Special Collections Department is home to the Library's Digital Initiatives Unit, which is responsible for managing the DigitalCommons@RIC repository, stewarding the Library's unique digital collections, and digitization and research in support of online access to materials from Special Collections.