Welcome to GSAS and the Harvard Library!
Here you will find information to get you started and give you an idea of the ways the library can work with you during your time as a graduate student. If you have questions about any of the links on this page, Ask a Librarian or check in with your department's Liaison librarian.
Meanwhile, make yourself comfortable when you visit us; try Find a Space and sign up for a Study Carrel.
Getting Off the Ground
- Bookmark the Harvard Library home page.
- Look up library materials in the HOLLIS catalog. Get to the best databases for your work through HOLLIS Databases, in a subject research guide-- or via your Liaison.
- Explore Library collections--physical, digital, and beyond!
- Get set up with citation and research management tools like Zotero and EndNote
- Extend your access to free full text with Library Browser Extensions; change your settings to use Google Scholar with HarvardKey.
- Try the Browzine reader app for easy browsing and reading of journal articles in your field.
- Maps, hours, etc.: Find out which library is open 24-7 and get the hours for each day. You can find libraries on the Harvard University Campus Map as well.
Ask a Librarian when you have a question or want some help!
LIBRARY LIAISONS
Find your Liaison. Your liaison librarian is a subject specialist who provides the primary research & instruction support for your department or program. They can help you navigate the complex systems and vast resources of Harvard Library.
Your liaison is familiar with the practices in your academic program and research fields and is here to help you make the most of your research.
Liaisons offer Library Support for Your Teaching and connect you with experts throughout the Harvard Library System. We can help with assignment design, access to course materials (including copyright and reserves), instruction sessions and consults for your students.
ACCESSING LIBRARY MATERIALS
Never pay for articles, books, software, DVDs, data, sheet music, or archival digitizations without asking us first. If we don't have something we can usually get it for you.
Use Scan & Deliver to order a PDF of any journal article that's not available online or up to two chapters from any book in print.
Use HOLLIS Special Request to "Request to Copy or Visit" materials in archives and special collections (you'll find this access option in HOLLIS).
Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to request scans or physical copies of materials - many items come within 4 business days or less.
Request a purchase if there is no holding library and the item is a candidate for Harvard Library's collection.
Working With Data
For help with data visualization methods and software, see our Visualization Support page.
Harvard Library Digital Scholarship Program and Digital Scholarship Group: Staff from the library, IT, and other units provide support and training for immersive, computational, and data-centric approaches in the humanities and social sciences.
Harvard Dataverse is an online data repository where you can share, preserve, cite, explore, and analyze research data. It is open to all researchers, both inside and out of the Harvard community.
The Qualitative Research Support Group offers resources, software training, and general support to help you plan a qualitative research project and collect, analyze, and share qualitative data.
LEARN WITH THE LIBRARY
Consult our calendar of upcoming workshops, tours, and other events hosted by Harvard Library for the Harvard community:
Don't miss our Unabridged program:
Unabridged In Person is a multi-day library research intensive for graduate students, designed to help you lay the groundwork for a career in academic research and writing. Our term-time “Bookends” workshops complete the in-person program. Through discussions and hands-on activities, participants will build conceptual frameworks and practical skills that you can adapt to any academic research setting. An online version also exists, called Unabridged On Demand. By the end of the program you will be able to:
- Navigate complex research environments
- Organize your research in intellectually productive ways
- Optimize your search strategies
- Manage your scholarly persona and negotiate with publishers
Unabridged Events - Sign up to receive Unabridged program news and workshop announcements, including a notification when our application cycle begins for the January intensive.
Also check out LinkedIn Learning @Harvard.
PRESENTING AND PUBLISHING YOUR WORK
Harvard Library Open Scholarship and Research Data Services can help you negotiate contracts with publishers and make your work accessible.
Individual Open-Access License (Opt In): sign this before sending any manuscripts to publishers - it allows you to post publications to your own website or to repositories like DASH.
Whether you are about to sign a publication contract or are incorporating work by others that goes beyond quoting, you may benefit by understanding fair use, your copyrights as an author, and when and how to seek copyright permissions. Harvard's Library's Copyright First Responders can help.
Share your work in multimedia formats (music, video, podcasts, posters, and more) with help from the Lamont Multimedia Lab!