Using Libraries as a Harvard Alum

Alumni benefits and resources from Harvard Library and from the Harvard Alumni Association continue to support your learning after you graduate.

HARVARD LIBRARY

Library services for alums can include building access, book borrowing privileges, and online access to a selection of databases. Keep scrolling for details.

• Keep your ID card - for building access
  • If you have a Harvard student ID that was issued in 2009 or later, it will be activated for building access after you request library privileges
  • If you need a new ID card: first activate your library privileges (using our online form or in person at Widener Library's Access & Borrowing Office), then visit the ID card office in the Smith Campus Center to be issued a new card
• Keep your HarvardKey - you can keep your login name even after you lose access to your Harvard email address
  • Visit Manage Your Account & Services to confirm that your recovery email is still a valid address for you
  • HarvardKey help for alums
• Update your contact email - this will ensure that HOLLIS sends notifications to the correct address
  • Visit http://alumni.harvard.edu and select "Edit Profile" to update the email address Harvard uses to contact you
• Follow Harvard Library news
  • Harvard Library newsletters & social media

HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The alumni association offers you a worldwide community of over 400,000 Harvard graduates, with opportunities for networking, professional development, volunteering, and more.

• Alumni Benefits and Resources (HAA) lists general services and resources for alums
• The Harvard Alumni Help (HAA) page or haa_alumnihelp@harvard.edu for general issues and inquiries

Alums and other special borrowers are welcome in all Harvard Library buildings except Lamont and Countway. This includes access to databases and e-resources via library computers. Alums may also bring a limited number of guests into the library. One-day passes are available from the Access & Borrowing Office.

• Submit your application for free-of-charge access and borrowing privileges
  • Privileges are active for 12 months. To renew, simply re-apply
  • Your Harvard ID card will be automatically updated for tap or swipe access to Harvard Library buildings
  • Borrowing is for Harvard Library materials only (no ILL)
  • Loan period is typically 28 days, with automatic renewals up to 12 months
  • Materials must be borrowed in person, but may be returned by mail
• Computers, printing, and scanning
  • Log in to a library computer for access to online resources
    • No HarvardKey required: from a library computer, you will be able to access to most licensed databases and to open "ONLINE ACCESS" links in HOLLIS, regardless of your affiliation
  • Self-serve scanners are available throughout the library. You can send your scans to any email address or save them to a portable USB drive
  • Printing in FAS Libraries: Instructions for Special Borrowers and Library Access Card Holders (Alumni, Visiting Researchers, Public Community Members). Note: alums cannot print from laptops.

Log in to a Widener computer

Widener is the best place to use a library computer to access online resources. Log-on procedures at other libraries may vary.

• Select a Guest Computer (identified by the laminated sign affixed to the top right corner of the monitor)
• Select "OK" to get past the warning that data will not be saved
• Ignore the first set of log-on boxes: instead, select "How do I sign in to another domain?” (small, pale link below the log-on boxes)
• Log in on the next screen:
  • A sign affixed to the base of the computer monitor will tell you which username and password to use
  • Double-check the direction of the slashes - the log-on may include a backslash or \
• Log in to OpenAthens before you do anything else
  • Go to https://my.openathens.net/auth
  • Enter the username and password for the building you are in. You should find a page of instructions that includes the building password posted near the computer.
  • You will need to log in to OpenAthens each time you start a new browser session
  • Report any issues logging in to OpenAthens - including HOLLIS links that ask you for a HarvardKey

Alums cannot access

• ONLINE ACCESS links that require login

Use the links in the list of Electronic Resources under Using Harvard Library as an Alum to access content licensed specifically for alums.

Alums can access

• HOLLIS search results (the list of citations relevant to your search)
• "Request pick up" options for Harvard Library collections
  • Apply for borrowing privileges to activate this option
• ONLINE ACCESS links to public domain and Open Access (OA) material
• READ ONLINE (1-hour loan) links - requires free account with the Internet Archive's Open Library
• My Favorites: saved ("pinned") items, searches, and alerts. Note: some article items may disappear from your HOLLIS Favorites when you graduate. This is due to licensing restrictions placed by the content providers for those article citations.

PRO TIP: make WorldCat your new go-to, especially for books. WorldCat is a global catalog of library holdings across the U.S. and beyond, also known as a union catalog. It’s the easiest way to find out which libraries near you hold a copy of a specific book.

Harvard offers special database access for alumni. How to Use Harvard Library as an Alum has all of the details. Look for:

• Alumni Electronic Resources (list with brief descriptions of what you have access to, plus top open access resources)
• Known Issues under Get Help

Harvard's Digital Collections are open to all.

Public Libraries

Public libraries offer a much broader and richer array of resources than most people realize. They are also "use it or lose it" public goods, so make sure to engage with your library as much as you can - visit the branch or the website, borrow materials, and send feedback.

• Database access, local or statewide
  • Example: Online Resources from the Boston Public Library
  • Example: TexShare
• Audiobooks, Kindle books, streaming video, and other electronic loans
  • Example: ebooks from the New York Public Library
• Interlibrary Loan
  • Example: Chicago Public Library Interlibrary Loan
• Tickets and passes for cultural attractions
  • Example: San Francisco Public Library's passes
• Tools, toys, and other object collections
  • Example: Berkeley Tool Library
  • Example: Musical Instruments from Montgomery County Libraries
• Community events and classes
  • Example: Events & Classes at the Cleveland Public Library

Note: the examples above are from American libraries. While services may differ, you can find public libraries and other public institutions in any country.

State Universities and Colleges

Especially helpful for academic research materials. Services for state residents may include:

• Buildings open to the public (sometimes only during specific hours)
  • Example: University of Florida's General Public Policies
• On-site database access
  • Example: University of Indiana's Library Guest Account
• Borrowing privileges
  • Example: Portland State University's Passport Program

National Libraries & Special Collections

These institutions steward unique materials and cultural heritage for everyone's benefit. Most are open to all researchers. Services include:

On-site access

Registration and appointments often required. Most libraries accept any government-issued ID for registration.

Examples:

• Huntington Library Registered Reader
• Yale's Beinecke Library Reader Registration
• Library of Congress Reader Identification Card
• National Library of China Reader Registration

Digitization services

Many repositories have a system for requesting scans from collection materials. Most charge a fee for the service.

Examples:

• Harvard Library: reproductions
• British Library: ordering images

Find an Open Access Version

If you find a paywall on one site, remember that the same material may be available for free somewhere else.

Many scholars publish their academic research in "open access" formats that make them accessible to all. Some publishers allow scholars to make individual articles and chapters open access, and some publish entire journals and books this way. Scholars also often self-archive their work on their personal websites and/or in a repository via their institution (e.g. Harvard's DASH) or via a subject-based repository (such as arXiv).

In HOLLIS

• Select the "Open Access" option in the filter menu
• Check for "VIEW PDF (OA)" or "VIEW PREPRINT" links

On the web

Two popular tools for locating an OA version:

• OA Button
• Unpaywall

Use our Ask a Librarian service [we usually respond to questions within 24 hours (M-F)]

This guide extensively incorporates information and advice from Steve Beardsley (Associate Director of Access Services), and is adapted from the work of Cheryl LaGuardia (retired Harvard research librarian).