The Sheridan Libraries encompass the Brody Learning Commons, the Milton S. Eisenhower Library and its collections at the Albert D. Hutzler Reading Room in Gilman Hall, the John Work Garrett Library at Evergreen and the George Peabody Library at Mt. Vernon Place. "The Sheridan Libraries" to reflect the extraordinary generosity of Mr. and Mrs. R. Champlin Sheridan, these collections provide the major research library resources for the university.
The mission of the Sheridan Libraries is to advance research and teaching at The Johns Hopkins University by providing information resources, instruction, and services. The Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering, the Carey Business School, and the School of Education comprise the library's primary constituency. The libraries also serve as a university-wide resource supplementing the collections of the independently-administered libraries serving the University's other schools.
In addition to more than 3.7 million books, the libraries provide 24/7 access to a rich collection of electronic resources, including over 171,000 print and e-journals, and more than 900,000 e-books. Included in the Libraries’ special collections are rare books, manuscripts, digital collections, and archival materials. The library’s materials and services reflect the development and increasing diversification of resources used for teaching, research, and scholarship. Librarians with subject expertise serve as liaisons to the academic departments, build electronic and print collections, and provide research consultation and instructional services to meet the teaching and research needs of the university.
By the numbers:
- Volumes: over 3.7 million
- Print and electronic journal subscriptions: over 121,000
- Full text electronic books: over 913,000
- Maps: over 211,000
- Videos and DVDs: over 15,000
- Annual Operating Budget: $32.4 million
- Grants and Contracts: $4 million
The Brody Learning Commons
The newest of the Sheridan Libraries, the Brody Learning Commons opened in August 2012. Connected to the Eisenhower Library on all floors, the Commons is open 24/7 and features a large quiet reading room, 16 group study rooms, teaching and seminar rooms, and a café. The Commons is also home to the Department of Special Collections and the Department of Conservation and Preservation.
The Milton S. Eisenhower Library
The Milton S. Eisenhower Library is the university's principal research library and the largest in a network of libraries at Johns Hopkins. Opened in 1964, the library was named for the university's eighth president, whose vision brought together the university's rich collection of books, journals and other scholarly resources. The Eisenhower Library collection numbers over 3.7 million volumes. Strengths in the humanities include German and Romance Languages, Philosophy and the Ancient Near East. In science and engineering, collection strengths include biomedical engineering, chemistry and environmental engineering. The library also offers an extensive array of electronic resources, including full-text books and journals, specialized databases, and statistical and cartographic data.
The John Work Garrett Library
The Garrett Library is located in Evergreen House, the former residence of Ambassador John Work Garrett and his wife Alice Warder Garrett. The house was bequeathed to the university in 1942 and the library contains about 28,600 volumes. The collection, which can be used by appointment only, features 16th and 17th-century English literature, especially the works of Shakespeare, Bacon, Spenser and Milton. Also strong in natural history, the library has some of the most important and beautiful ornithological works ever produced by John James Audubon, John Gould, and Alexander Wilson. The Fowler Architectural Collection focuses on early editions of Vitruvius and the great Renaissance architects Alberti, Serlio, Palladio, Vignola, and Scamozzi.
The Albert D. Hutzler Reading Room ("The HUT")
Commonly referred to as "The HUT", the Hutzler Reading Room is open on a 24-hour basis during the academic year. Located in Gilman Hall, the HUT occupies a central room in the oldest academic building on the Homewood Campus, featuring a high ceiling and beautiful stained-glass windows bearing the printers' marks of 18 Renaissance printers.
George Peabody Library
The George Peabody Library, formerly the Library of the Peabody Institute of the City of Baltimore, dates from the founding of the Peabody Institute in 1857. In that year, George Peabody, a Massachusetts-born philanthropist dedicated the Peabody Institute to the citizens of Baltimore in appreciation of their "kindness and hospitality."
Reflecting the scholarly interests of the 19th century, the library's 300,000 volume collection is particularly strong in religion, British art, architecture, topography and history; American history, biography, and literature; Romance languages and literature; history of science; and geography, exploration and travel.
The Peabody Library remained part of the Peabody Institute until 1967, when it was transferred to the City of Baltimore and administered by the Enoch Pratt Free Library. In 1982 the Peabody Library became part of the Eisenhower Library's Special Collections department.
The George Peabody Library is widely recognized as one of the most beautiful library spaces in all of North America. Designed by Baltimore architect Edmund G. Lind, the library's magnificent neo-Grec interior features an atrium surrounded by five tiers of ornamental cast-iron balconies and graceful gold-scalloped columns that soar to a latticed skylight more than 60 feet above a black and white marble floor. Nathaniel H. Morison, first provost of the Institute, described the elegant library as a "cathedral of books."
The Sheridan Libraries Organizational Chart