harvard library
DESCRIPTION
HARVARD LIBRARY. Lauren Balliet. The Basics. Library system of Harvard University , Cambridge, MA Founded in 1638 Over 16 million items System of more than 70 libraries (or 90, depending who’s counting ) HOLLIS online catalog Limited access. The Basics. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
HARVARD LIBRARY
Lauren Balliet
The Basics
• Library system of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
• Founded in 1638• Over 16 million items• System of more than 70 libraries (or 90,
depending who’s counting)• HOLLIS online catalog• Limited access
The Basics
• Oldest library system in the US• Second largest academic library in the US• Largest private library system in the world• Some of the largest specialized libraries in the
world
So how many libraries?
• Harvard College Library• Harvard University Library:– Office for Information Systems– Weissman Preservation Center– Harvard Depository– Harvard University Archives– Office for Scholarly Communication
• http://lib.harvard.edu/libraries/listings_alpha.html
Birth of the Harvard Library
• John Harvard and the college in New Towne
• 400 volumes ofabout 329 titles
• First catalog in 1723
Near-Death of the Harvard Library
• Library burns in 1764• Gifts from individuals revive the collection• Especially Thomas Hollis V• Harvard’s first book fund
Continued Growth
• Cataloguing continues• Library as selling point for Harvard Law• The collections expand in scope• Librarians (attempt to) professionalize
Under Harris and Sibley
• Thaddeus Harris: 1831-1856• Annual reports and card catalog• Oversees move to separate building• John Langdon Sibley: 1856-1877
Into the 20th Century
• Special libraries begin to break off• Attempts to centralize• Widener Memorial Library• Changes for the librarians
Recent Directors
• Sidney Verba (1984-2007)• Digitization and becoming the model for
modern libraries• Google Books project• Robert Darnton (2007 to present)
Widener Library
Widener Library
Widener Library
• Named after Harry Elkins Widener• Founded 1915• Holds 3.5 million books• Major renovation between 1999-2004 costing
$97 million
Widener Library: Collections
• American / English language• East, South, Southeast Asian• Western European• Latin American, Spanish, Portuguese• Middle Eastern• Modern Greek• Slavic• Sub-Saharan African• Microfilmed Newspapers• Electronic Journals
Houghton Library
Houghton Library
• Opened in 1942 to meet the preservation needs of rare books
• First American library to construct separate facility for housing and study for rare books and manuscripts
Houghton Library: Collections
• Early books and manuscripts• Early modern books and manuscripts• Modern books and manuscripts• Printing and graphic arts• Harvard Theatre Collection• Theodore Roosevelt collection• Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Collection (
http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/houghton/exhibits/widener/)
HCL’s Other Libraries
• Cabot Science Library• Fine Arts Library• Fung Library• Harvard Film Archives• Harvard Map Collection
HCL’s Other Libraries
• Woodberry Poetry Room• Tozzer Library• Loeb Music Library• Lamont Library• Harvard-Yenching Library
Some HUL libraries
• Gutman Library• Andover-Harvard Theological Library• Harvard Law School Library
• http://lib.harvard.edu/
Resources• http://oasis.lib.harvard.edu/oasis/deliver/~gra00030• http://www.sargentmurals.bpl.org/site/index.html• http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1998/06.04/
CountingLibrari.html• http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/• http://lib.harvard.edu/• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Library• Carpenter, Kenneth E. The First 350 Years of the Haravard University
Library: Description of an Exhibition. Cambridge: Harvard, 1986.• Murray, Stuart P. The Library; An Illustrated History. Chicago; Skyhorse
Publishing, 2009.