Harvard University Library

The Harvard University Library system comprises about 90 libraries, with more than 16 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States, the largest academic and the largest private library system in the world. Based on the number of volumes in the collection, it is the fourth largest library collection in the US, after the Library of Congress, Boston Public Library, and New York Public Library.

While the largest and best-known library building at Harvard is the Widener Library in Harvard Yard, Cambridge, Massachusetts, this iconic building belongs to the Harvard College Library, the name of the library administrative unit within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

The Harvard University Library is the formal name for an administrative entity within the central administration of the University that has responsibility for central library services and policy. As of December 20, 2010 (2010 -12-20), Helen Shenton is the current executive director. The Harvard University Library has a number of subordinate offices. Some of these are listed below.

  • The Office for Information Systems develops and supports online library services including digital repository and cataloging systems.
  • The Weissman Preservation Center manages projects for preserving Harvard's collections.
  • The Harvard Depository is a storage facility for library materials.
  • The Harvard University Archives is the institutional archives of the University. It oversees the University's permanent records, collects Harvard-related manuscripts, papers, and historical materials, and supervises records management across the University.
  • The Office for Scholarly Communication provides for open access to works of scholarship produced by the Harvard community.

Read more about Harvard University Library:  History, Libraries in The Harvard University System, Librarians

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