Who We Are
We are the libraries and archives of Harvard University.
At Harvard Library, we are champions of curiosity. We aim to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration. We engage with our communities in the creation and sharing of new knowledge, connecting them with the vast collections that we curate and steward through collaborations around the world. At its core, our mission for nearly four centuries has been to advance the learning, research, and pursuit of truth that are at the heart of Harvard. Our efforts are motivated and powered by working collaboratively, embracing diverse perspectives, championing access, aiming for the extraordinary, and always leading with curiosity.
We have over 800 staff engaging with scholars and students across more than 25 libraries and around the world. With over 20 million physical and digital items, our vast collections are renowned for their global reach and depth, with resources spanning the development of all disciplines and more than 460 languages. Our rare and special collections are among the most remarkable in the world, ranging from medieval manuscripts to sound recordings of modern poets and from early maps to digital images. We collect collaboratively with peer institutions and facilitate international open access, seeking to build a diverse, open corpus of knowledge with scholars and citizens everywhere. Established in 1638, we are the oldest library system in the United States and the world’s largest academic library.
Our Strategic Framework
Our Purpose
We champion curiosity for the betterment of the world.
Our Vision
We aspire to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration.
Our Mission
We are expert partners on the pathways to knowledge. We engage with our communities in the creation and sharing of new knowledge, connecting them with vast collections that we curate and steward with collaborators around the world. At its core, our mission is to advance the learning, research and pursuit of truth that are at the heart of Harvard.
Our Values
Lead with curiosity.
We expand intellectual frontiers and remain in awe of what we do not yet know.
Seek collaboration.
We bring people and ideas together from within and beyond because we believe partnership creates more interesting results.
Embrace diverse perspectives.
We cultivate and celebrate diversity in our collections and our community to construct a more inclusive and just world.
Champion access.
We enhance access to information and advance inclusive models of scholarly communication.
Aim for the extraordinary.
We drive progress and deliver the unexpected, building on our past and forging the future.
Advancing Open Knowledge
A Discussion of Harvard Library’s Strategic Directions
Advancing Open Knowledge (November 2020) takes our vision — we aspire to be global leaders in expanding world knowledge and intellectual exploration — and discusses broad strategies for achieving it in the years ahead.
Advancing Open Knowledge (pdf)
Our Commitment to Community
At the heart of Harvard Library’s mission, vision, and values is our commitment to facilitating academic excellence in the University community through broadly inclusive collections, user-centered services, and welcoming spaces. Our work with faculty, students, and researchers — to explore complex questions in an environment of pluralism, open inquiry, and constructive dialogue — contributes to a more complete understanding of the world around us and informs choices that shape our shared future.
Harvard Library staff bring a multitude of skills, professional backgrounds, and experiences to our shared mission. By prioritizing connection, curiosity, and collaboration, we continually evolve to meet the needs of current and future knowledge seekers and creators. We aim to nurture a library culture that expands knowledge, broadens perspectives, and reflects the richness of the world we serve.
As a partner in the academic enterprise, we embrace Harvard’s community values: We respect the rights, differences, and dignity of others; demonstrate integrity in all of our dealings; pursue excellence conscientiously in our work; hold ourselves accountable for our actions and conduct in the community; and cultivate bonds and bridges that enable all to grow with and learn from one another.
Our Organization
Harvard Library has evolved over four centuries to a collaborative structure spanning the University.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences and each of the Schools have administrative responsibility for libraries that provide collections, services and spaces tailored to their academic programs and research. Harvard Library drives the development and implementation of common strategies across the libraries and provides system-wide collections discovery, access, acquisitions, cataloging, preservation and digital imaging services, and support for scholarly communication, research data management and digital scholarship. Harvard Library includes the Harvard University Archives.
The Vice President for the Harvard Library and University Librarian is the senior administrative officer for Harvard Library, reporting to the Provost. This role is combined with senior administrative responsibility for the libraries in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, reporting to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Martha Whitehead is the current Vice President for the Harvard Library and University Librarian and Roy E. Larsen Librarian for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
The Harvard Library Leadership team is chaired by the Vice President for the Harvard Library and University Librarian and Roy E. Larsen Librarian for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The team includes the Vice President’s direct reports, the directors of each of the School libraries, and the heads of Harvard Library departments.
Several advisory bodies provide valuable input on the ongoing development of the Harvard Library: the Library Board, the Faculty Advisory Council, and the Overseers’ Committee.