Services for Harvard Students

Access | Borrowing Policy | Book Renewals | Course Reserves | Computers & Printing | Photocopying
Microfilm & Microfiche | Interlibrary Loan | Papers & Dissertations | Reference Assistance

Access

The library primarily serves the students, faculty, and staff of the Harvard Divinity School. It is open to all faculty, students, and staff of Harvard University and of any school affiliated with the Boston Theological Institute. We welcome visitors with legitimate research needs to consult our collections. 

Please bring your Harvard ID card to enter the library. Due to limitations in the turnstile gates, members of the Harvard Medical School will need to register their cards at the library at the time of their first visit. Other visitors must sign in.

Borrowing Policy

• Books circulate as follows:
  • Undergraduate and graduate students: for 28 days;
  • Doctoral students in year four and above: twice yearly due dates (of February 10 and September 10).
• Reserve items and bound periodicals circulate for 3 hours.
• Multimedia items circulate for 3 days.
• There is no limit on the number of books that may be checked out, but common sense is advised.
• Notices are sent as a courtesy. Borrowers are responsible for overdue and lost items even if these notices are not received.
• All items are subject to recall. Recalled materials must be returned to the library within the new loan period specified on the recall notice, or a $2.00 per day fine is assessed. Harvard borrowers may use HOLLIS to recall items circulating to other patrons.
• Overdue materials will incur fines at the rate of $0.50 per day. Overdue recalls are $2.00 per day (from the new due date). Overdue reserves are $1.00 per hour. After two overdue notices are issued, overdue items will be considered lost and a bill will be sent for the lost materials and a processing fee. HDS students with excessive fines or book replacement charges will be reported to the assistant dean for student life. Students from other Harvard schools who incur excessive fines or book replacement charges may be blocked from borrowing privileges at all Harvard libraries.

Book Renewals

Non-reserve circulating items may be renewed through the "Your Account" feature on HOLLIS. It is the policy of the Harvard University Libraries to place a limit of five renewals on any material loaned from any library. After five renewals, materials may not be renewed online, but will have to be returned or renewed in person at the owning library's circulation desk. This policy enables the libraries to account for their collections at regular intervals and fulfills their preservation/conservation stewardship responsibilities.

Course Reserves

Course reserves are available at the circulation desk whenever the library is open. The reserve collection changes each semester and includes Harvard library books, copies of professors' books, and photocopied articles.

For information about the reserve readings available for a course, please consult the website for the course.

Materials circulate for three hours and are nonrenewable. You may request an item that is checked out, but it will only be held for you 15 minutes after it is returned, regardless of when it is due back.

Reserve items may be checked out overnight beginning at 9 pm Sunday-Thursday, and beginning at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday. Reserve items checked out overnight are due back at 8:30 am, Monday-Friday; at 9 am on Saturday; and at noon on Sunday.

Overdue reserve fines are $1.00 per hour.

Computers

Computers for access to the HOLLIS catalog, other library resources, and email are located next to the circulation desk on the first floor and in the Houghton Reference Room on the second floor.

Printing fees ($0.07 per page) for computers on the second floor are paid through Crimson Cash. Value may be added to a Harvard ID card or Crimson Cash card by credit card on the Crimson Cash website or at Crimson Cash VTS machines at other University locations.

Wireless network access is available on all floors. Network jacks are located throughout the library.

The Student PC Lab (available only to HDS students) is located on the lower level.

To report problems with library computers, please contact the HDS Office of Information Technology and Media Services (617.496.9111; hdshelp@hds.harvard.edu).

Photocopying

Photocopiers are located on each of the library's four levels. Copiers accept Crimson Cash cards, Harvard IDs with Crimson Cash value added, and bills and coins. Copies are $0.10 per page, using cash, and $0.07 per page, using Crimson Cash. Crimson Cash cards are available for purchase at the circulation desk. Value may be added to a Harvard ID card or a Crimson Cash card by credit card on the Crimson Cash website or at Crimson Cash VTS machines at other University locations.

Microfilm and Microfiche

Most of the microfilm and microfiche collections and readers are located in the room next to the reference desk on the second floor. Access to the collections and readers are self-service and available whenever the library is open. Assistance is available from reference and circulation staff. Printers are attached to three readers; printing costs are $0.10 per page, payable by cash or check at the circulation desk. Digital copies may be made on a USB flash drive or CD by using the computer and the first reader on the left.

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan services (for books or articles not available here or at other Harvard libraries in Cambridge) are available to all Harvard Divinity School students, faculty, and staff who carry valid Harvard University photo ID cards.

You may submit online forms to request a book or an article through interlibrary loan, or you may use printable forms (Adobe Acrobat required) to request a book or an article. Copies of these forms are also available at the circulation desk. On the Article Request Form, please include citation information, and do not forget to sign the Copyright Compliance Agreement by checking "Yes" and adding the date.

It usually takes at least two weeks to obtain a requested item. The lending library determines the due date and whether the items may leave the library to which an item is loaned. Failure to return items on time will result in fines and loss of interlibrary loan privileges.

If you would like to recommend that the library purchase the item, rather than borrow it, please use our Recommendations for Purchase form.

For more information, consult the circulation staff, 617.495.7738, or email interlibrary loan, ill@hds.harvard.edu.

Senior Paper and Dissertation Research

Whether you have already defined a topic or are still trying to focus your ideas to shape a manageable topic, librarians are here to assist you. We will work with you to:

• Organize your library research
• Develop search strategies
• Build an exhaustive bibliography
• Identify and learn to use relevant sources
• Obtain research materials worldwide

To arrange a consultation, please contact the reference staff, at 617.496.AHTL (2485) or reference@hds.harvard.edu.

Reference Assistance

Visit the reference desk, call to ask a quick question, or make an appointment for in-depth research advice. Hours (during term time, except University holidays) are:

• Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am-9 pm
• Friday, 8:30 am-6 pm

Call us at 617.496.AHTL (2485)

Reference librarians will work with you to:

• Locate information
• Develop a research strategy
• Find relevant e-resources, books, and articles on any topic
• Work on any research-related question, problem, or skill

Use our Email Reference Form to send us a quick question.

Use our Recommendations for Purchase Form to suggest material for our collection.

See the Directory by Department or Directory by Name to contact a specific librarian.