3. Using the Harvard Libraries
The Harvard University Library is made up of over ninety libraries that together support study and research at all of the schools at Harvard. Use this List of Harvard Libraries to locate the library you need to use.
The website of each library will provide hours, telephone numbers and email addresses of staff, and information about borrowing and admittance policies.
HOLLIS Catalog
The HOLLIS Catalog is the online library catalog of the Harvard University Library -- a database containing over 9 million records for more than 15 million books, journals, manuscripts, government documents, maps, microforms, music scores, sound recordings, visual materials, and data files. The database is updated continually as material is ordered, received, and cataloged.
There are now two interfaces to the catalog:the new HOLLIS, which has a single search box and adds capacities for relevancy rankings and faceted searching, and HOLLIS Classic, which, as previously, offers subject heading browsing, searches by exact phrase, call numbers, and non-Roman characters, and the capacity to select and email multiple records. More information on the particular advantages of each interface will be available throughout the semester.
In both HOLLIS and HOLLIS Classic, you'll find useful information by clicking on the HELP link at the upper right of the screen. For additional assistance with HOLLIS Classic, check the "Search tips" link that appears on every search screen and the Searching the HOLLIS Classic Catalog guide. Note that logging into My Account/Renew will enable you to view your library records and renew materials.
The HOLLIS Catalog contains entries for many, but not all, materials in formats other than books and journals (such as manuscripts, maps, visual media, microforms and government documents) owned by Harvard University libraries.
For access to materials other than books and journals, supplement HOLLIS searching with searches of other Harvard catalogs: VIA (Visual Information Access), OASIS (Online Archival Search Information System), and the Harvard Geospatial Library, as well as catalogs and/or finding guides of individual Harvard libraries and special collections that represent your area of interest.
The HOLLIS Catalog does not contain records for individual articles in journals. To search for articles, use periodical indexes. Electronic indexes are available online through the Harvard Libraries site. Note that many extensive print journal indexes, covering topics or periods not addressed by online indexes, are also available. Consult with librarians or see Research Guides in particular subjects, for suggestions on useful print indexes.
Harvard Libraries Website
The Harvard Libraries site is the library portal to a wide variety of electronic resources. In addition to indexes to journal articles, you will find through Harvard Libraries E-Resources links to electronic dictionaries, directories, encyclopedias, journals, library catalogs, text and image collections, polling data, and even more.
For specific suggestions on using Harvard Libraries electronic resources in your field, check with librarians who serve as Research Contacts and Library Liaisons for your discipline.
Laptop Use, Network Connectivity, Printing, and Scanning
See the HCL guide Computers, Scanners, Copiers, etc., which tells you which equipment is available in which library, and gives additional information on topics such as personal laptop use.
This guide also explains printing from public computer workstations and from personal laptops, using Crimson Cash to pay for printing and photocopying, and the availability of free self-service scanners.
Study Carrels and Individual Work Spaces
You can find individual work spaces of varying shapes and sizes all across the Harvard College Library; see the HCL guide to Carrels and Study Spaces. In Widener Library, graduate students may apply for an assigned study carrel (see the Widener Carrel Request Form). Each carrel includes a desk, bookshelves, and a locked cabinet for the temporary storage of belongings. Carrels can be found on floors one through six and downstairs in Pusey, but bring a sweater--the Widener stacks are kept at a brisk sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit to help preserve the books.
Users with Disabilities
The libraries are committed to providing equal access to collections, services, and programs for all Harvard students, faculty, and staff. To this end, library staff will make every reasonable effort to assist users with disabilities. We strongly advise telephone or e-mail inquiries in advance of on-site visits.
The services that are available at all HCL libraries include:
- Assistance with physical access to the buildings
- Retrieval of materials from the stacks.
- Assistance with searching the HOLLIS Catalog or other electronic resources.
- Photocopying of materials for users unable to use the public photocopiers.
- Reference and other assistance by appointment.
See Computers, Scanners, Copiers, etc. for information about adaptive technologies available in some libraries. For information about the specific accommodations at each library, consult the HCL Guide Services/Access for Persons with Disabilities.