Library Lessons From a Harvard Senior

By Harvard Library Communications Office September 26, 2022

Advice on making the most of library resources from Tess Kelley '23, a College senior and intern for Harvard Library Communications.

Tess Kelley, a white woman with brown hair, smiles facing the camera. She is wearing an orange coat and a grey top underneath
Tess Kelley '23

When I first started at Harvard, the library system seemed so vast and complicated that I didn’t know how to approach it. I’d heard about plenty of programs meant to help students, but I didn’t know how to choose the ones that would best help me or how to start using them. Now, as a senior, I can share some highlights I’ve found helpful throughout my time here.

If you’re new to campus, I hope these tips make your transition to life here easier. If you’re already an upperclassman, hopefully some of them will still be helpful to you too — I learned some of these tips as recently as last semester myself.

  1. FIND A SPACE  — If you’re looking for a quiet space to cram for your midterm or a room to grind out a pset with friends, Find a Space is the tool for you. It shows you the locations of library spaces across campus as well as their amenities. To find the right one for your needs, you can filter by noise level, room size, and even features like wheelchair accessibility and if the space allows food or drinks. My personal favorite campus library is Tozzer, the anthropology library, which is definitely a hidden gem.

  2. TECHNOLOGY RENTALS — Books aren’t the only things you can check out from Harvard Library. You can rent a GoPro camera, iPad-compatible 3D scanner, or even a telescope from various libraries around campus. Check out equipment available and make a borrowing request from Cabot Science Library, Lamont Library, or Wolbach Library.

  3. FREE ALUMNI BORROWING ACCESS — Now that I’ve started my last year on campus, life beyond Harvard is beginning to feel a lot more real (and my family won’t stop asking me where I’m applying to grad school). When you graduate from Harvard, you don’t have to lose access to its library materials. Like all visitors, alumni are automatically able to visit the library’s special collections and archives, but by registering as an alumni borrower, you can also gain free access to a variety of online journals, databases, and research. Check out the Almanac of the Federal Judiciary if you’re planning on a career in law, or maybe the American Medical Association Journals if you’re leaning towards healthcare instead.

  4. ACCOUNTABILITY HOUR — Looking for personalized help with library research? Sign up for the Academic Resource Center’s 'Accountability Hour,' which takes place every Wednesday at 3 p.m. during the fall semester. You can meet directly with a librarian for help with locating sources, formatting citations, or refining a research topic — it’s all your choice.

  5. J-TERM WORKSHOPS AT HOUGHTON — Maybe you're already familiar with Houghton Library, Harvard's home for rare books and manuscripts, but did you know that the library offers workshops between the fall and spring semesters? In past workshops, you could try your hand at printing books the way it was done back in the 1400s or dive into the Harvard Theatre Collection’s body of playbills, posters, and photography. This year’s schedule will be announced soon, so keep your eye out.

  6. HOLLIS DATABASE SEARCH — This is basically the better version of Google Scholar. HOLLIS Database Search doesn’t actually search for articles; it searches for databases pertaining to a research interest, which you can then use to look for articles. Why do things this way? A typical HOLLIS search won’t show you everything contained in these databases, which means you might be missing out on research. These databases also give you more targeted results, so you can find what you need without having to sift through a virtual pile of articles.

  7. LIBRARY LIAISONS — And finally, if you're still feeling overwhelmed, library liaisons are here to help! Liaisons are assigned to specific subject areas or specific types of classes (think Expos or Freshman Seminars), which makes them great resources for specialized help. They can get you started on research in a specific discipline, help you navigate writing your first college paper, or answer questions you may have about Harvard Library.

While figuring out Harvard Library took me some time, I could not have made it this far in my Harvard career without it. Hopefully these tips have helped demystify its many programs and services. Wishing you a productive, fulfilling, and all nighter-free semester!