Commemorating the 200th anniversary of Melville’s birth, Melville: Finding America at Sea traces the arc of the author’s life and afterlife, from the marginal place in American letters he occupied during his lifetime to his current position at the center of the American literary canon.

December 31, 2018 marked the successful conclusion of the Newberry’s First and Foremost comprehensive campaign, a two-year fundraising initiative to support the library’s vision for expanding access to its world-class collection and promoting learning in the humanities.

The Newberry’s reading rooms are now open Tuesday-Saturday from 10am to 5pm, with extended hours until 7pm on Wednesdays. The new schedule aligns our reading room hours with the times that visitors prefer to use the collection most.

Nestled in the open circle of a decorative capital P, two devout young women hold rosaries, girdle books, and a lily. The meticulously crafted letter, an ornament cut from a northern Italian choir book, is by a miniaturist well versed in contemporary culture, fashion, and arts at the turn of the 16th century.