The University Libraries hold over 1.7 million volumes. In addition to the physical collections, the Libraries provide online access to periodicals, reference databases, and a growing number of e-books.
The University Libraries also house a number of specialized collections:
Digital Collections
The Digital Collections include materials in the DigitalCommons@URI, URI’s institutional repository, which showcases the diverse array of materials produced by the University of Rhode Island community, as well as other collections of digital materials.
Government Publications
The Government Publications collection consists of publications produced by both the federal government and the state of Rhode Island. Although the University of Rhode Island is a selective depository for U.S. government documents, our collection of federal documents is the largest in the state of Rhode Island.
Media Collection
The Media Collection serves the University of Rhode Island libraries and community by providing dramatic, documentary, entertainment and educational media in support of the University curriculum. The Media Collection is the URI Libraries’ primary collection of materials in electronic non-print (audio and visual) formats.
University Archives and Special Collections
Formerly known as Distinctive Collections, the University Archives & Special Collections Unit collects and preserves unique, rare, and primary source research materials and facilitates their use by URI students, faculty, and staff and the local and scholarly research communities. Our collections include the Commercial Pattern Archive, Rare Books, the Rhode Island Collection, RI Political Papers, and URI’s Archives. UASC holds numerous other collections of family & personal papers, manuscripts, and records collections. Subject strengths are local history, journalism, performing arts, RI families, small presses, the textile industry, and labor & unionization. Materials are available for research in a supervised reading room open to the public by appointment, Monday-Friday.