Once you've found a record in HOLLIS for a book that you want to look at, follow these steps:
Locating Books
- Review the "Access Options" to make sure the book is not checked out. (If the book is checked out, you can recall it by clicking on the "Request" link. The person who has the book will be asked to return in within 7-10 days. Another, often quicker, option is to request the book via Borrow Direct, an expedited loan service of the Ivies-Plus consortium.)
- Write down (print out, or email, or text) the call number.
- Once you're in the library, look for a chart that shows you where each call number is shelved.
- If you have any questions, ask for help at a reference desk.
Locating Print Journals
Once you've found a record in HOLLIS for a journal that you want to look at, follow these steps:
- Review the list of items under "Access Options" of each title to find out if the library owns the issue you need.
- Determine where in the library your journal is shelved. At most libraries, recent issues (published in the past year or so) are shelved separately from older issues.
- At Lamont: Recent issues can be found in the Reference Room on the 3rd floor, and older issues are shelved by title on the 2nd floor.
- At Widener: Recent issues can be found in the Periodicals Reading Room on the 1st floor, and older are shelved by call number in the Stacks. So, be sure to note the call number for journals at Widener.
When You Have a Citation to an Article
When you already have a citation to a journal article, either from a bibliography or from a Harvard Libraries e-resource such as ABSEES, look for the full text of the article by following these instructions:
- Open a new browser window. From the HOLLIS catalog, choose the Journal search link from the menu.
- In the third section, "Find an Article by Citation," enter as much of the article's citation information as you have (e.g. journal title, date, volume number, etc.), then click on Search.
- A new screen will open that provides a link to an electronic version of your article, if available. If there is no link to an electronic version of your article then follow the link to the HOLLIS Catalog, which will show you which Harvard libraries own a paper copy (see Locating Print Journals for instructions on how to locate the paper copy in a library).
Questions? Contact Us!
Schedule a follow-up consultation:
Olha Aleksic, Petro Jacyk Bibliographer for Ukrainian Collections, Americas, Europe and Oceania Division (AEOD) at Widener Library, and Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute Library, 617-496-2458, e-mail