Can I use the Brown Libraries for research if I'm not a member of the Brown community?
Answer
Academic departments may request a sponsored ID to provide a specialized Brown Card and electronic services to individuals (known as affiliates) who are not regular students, faculty, or staff at Brown. Requestors should only ask for the services that are necessary for the affiliate based on their relationship with Brown. Services requiring approval involve additional processing time.
A Sponsored ID request may include access to the following services:
Services not requiring approval:
- Brown Card
- Network Access (Wireless, VPN, Electronic Services, Printing, Shared Drives, etc.)
- Library Building Access
Services requiring approval:
- Brown email and Google Drive
- Software Downloads
- Library Eresources (access to online journals and databases)
Services not associated with the Sponsored ID:
The Sponsored ID does not include access to the following:
- Brown University buildings (except libraries)
- Shared file folders, servers, printers, etc.
- Library Circulation (not available to Sponsored IDs at this time)
Contact your department head and/or departmental computing representative to ensure your affiliate is granted the necessary access. For more information about the Sponsored ID process, please see the Brown Card webpage.