Armstrong Browning Library

The Armstrong Browning Library is a research library devoted to the study of the lives and works of the Victorian poets, Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It houses the world's largest collection of books, letters, manuscripts, and memorabilia pertaining to the Brownings, as well as a substantial collection of primary and secondary materials related to 19th-century literature and culture. Included in the latter category are works by literary figures who were contemporaries and associates of the Brownings, such as Matthew Arnold, Charles Dickens, George MacDonald, Joseph Milsand, and John Ruskin.

Growing collections of 19th-century women poets and 19th-century theological pamphlets are among its newest avenues of expansion. Students and scholars are welcome to conduct research using its extensive non-circulating collections.The Browning collection has continued to grow, both in volume and importance, under the succeeding directorships of Mary Maxwell Armstrong (1954 - 1959), Dr. Jack W. Herring (1959 - 1984), Dr. Roger L. Brooks (1987 - 1994), Dr. Mairi C. Rennie (1996 - 2002), Dr. Stephen Prickett (2003 - 2008), and Rita S. Patteson (2009 - present).

In 1995 a major renovation of the ground floor changed the existing classrooms and offices, formerly used by the English Department, into areas that were essential to compensate for the growth of the collection and expanded service to the general public. The floor was transformed into a ground-level entryway, formal reception area, gift shop, lecture hall, seminar room, and a desperately needed humidity and temperature controlled book stack area.

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