Named for Francis James Child, Harvard's first Professor of English, Child Memorial Library is the English Department research library.
Its extensive, non-circulating collection comprises works from all areas and periods of English and American literature.
Maintained and staffed by graduate students, Child Library is dedicated to providing up-to-date, scholarly editions of authors, as well as a cross-section of recent and influential criticism.
We warmly encourage concentrators, graduate students, and faculty to make use of this rich and unique resource. Suggestions for augmenting the collection are welcome and can be addressed to the library coordinators.
Accessing These Materials
Child Memorial Library is located on the third floor of Widener Library. The library staff desk can be reached at 617-495-4681.
The library is primarily for the use of English graduate and undergraduate students at Harvard, though other students and scholars are welcome.
The collection is non-circulating under all circumstances; all volumes are on "permanent reserve."
Patrons, however, may take a book out briefly in order to copy parts of it within Widener Library if they consult the desk attendant and leave their Harvard IDs.