10. Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I find someone in the library to help me get started with my research?
A. See Reaching the Right People in this guide, or go directly to the list of Library Research Contacts.
Q. Which library should I use?
A. Ask librarians, check the HOLLIS Catalog to see where materials in your field are located, and see the Harvard Libraries by Subject list and Harvard College Library Collections At a Glance
Q. Do I get materials myself or are they delivered to me?
A. Most Harvard libraries are open-stack; you will enter and find items yourself. Exceptions are materials located in the Harvard Depository, an off-site storage facility; for most of those, you can make requests through the HOLLIS Catalog for items to be delivered to a library. Some special collections, such as the Harvard Map Collection, the Harvard University Archives, the Houghton Library, and the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, are closed-stack; when you visit the library, you will fill out request forms and items will be delivered to you.
Q. Is there a limit on how many items I can take out? For how long I can keep them?
A. There is no limit on the number of items you may check out. For loan periods through the Harvard College Library, see HCL Loan Periods chart. For loan periods in the libraries of other faculties, see the library information pages: Baker Library (Business), Frances Loeb Harvard (Design), Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Gutman Library (Education), Kennedy School of Government Library, Law School Library. and Countway Library of Medicine.
Q. What's "Scan & Deliver?"
A. Scan & Deliver is an electronic document-delivery service available through HOLLIS and HOLLIS Classic, allowing Harvard faculty, students and staff to submit requests for eligible book excerpts and journal articles. Items eligible for the service will include a new Scan & Deliver link on search results pages. Requests made through the system are received by library staff members, who locate and scan the material. Patrons then receive an e-mail containing an Internet link to a file containing the scanned pages.
Q. How do I find out about using citation management software?
A. See the guide Using Refworks, Endnote, and Other Citation Tools.
Q. What can I do if the resources I want aren't available in the Harvard Library?
A. Items not available through this library may be requested through Interlibrary Loan. (You also may wish to double-check with a librarian; perhaps what you are looking for is here but difficult to locate in the catalog.)
Q. Are tours offered of any Harvard libraries?
A. Tours of Widener Library are offered regularly through the semester. For information on touring other libraries, contact the library.
