Copy requests can be submitted by remote researchers and those who cannot visit in person. To place a copy request, you will need a HOLLIS Special Request account. To learn more about placing a request for copies, please review the Requesting Materials Guide for instructions.
Material that has been copied for reference purposes and kept on file is available in our Virtual Reading Room. To find out more about accessing the available digitized folders from a particular manuscript collection, contact us via Ask a Librarian!
Access to the Virtual Reading Room is provided for 30 days at a time. The Virtual Reading Room is updated on a rolling basis. Please check back periodically for updates regarding new materials or renewed access. Please note, a Microsoft account is required to access the Virtual Reading Room. To make the process most efficient, if possible, please make sure your Microsoft email address matches the one used for your HOLLIS Special Request account. Instructions for signing up for a free Microsoft account are available online.
What we can scan:
Requests should be submitted in batches of five folders.
We will process up to five folders at a time. Please do not submit a subsequent batch of requests until your previous batch of requests has been scanned and delivered to your account.
If you have a prioritized order for your requests, please include a list of the folders in priority order in the "Special Request/Questions?" field of your order.
If the batch of folders you have requested exceeds 250 pages, and you have not shared a prioritized list with us, we will scan requests in folder number order.
The Library provides copies of full folders only. For example, if you request a folder of correspondence from a collection's finding aid in HOLLIS for Archival Discovery, we will provide a copy of the full contents of the folder rather than a selection of letters by correspondent or date range within the folder.
These limits on requests renew every January and July, and there are no fees for this service. We will be in touch if the material you have requested is closed, fragile or otherwise restricted.
Copies will be provided in digital format, via PDF files. The Library does not provide hard copies.
Scans provided for reference by the Schlesinger Library may be used to support private study, research, or classroom teaching, and will not be put on deposit at another repository. Reference scans are not provided for publication or dissemination online.
Timeline for Request Completion:
Requests are processed in the order received, with priority given to Harvard students and faculty. Depending on request volume, copy requests for material that has not yet been digitized will be completed within approximately 4 weeks, sooner if possible. Access to previously scanned content via the Virtual Reading Room will be provided as soon as possible.
If you have questions about the status of your request or need to change your request, please contact us via the Schlesinger Library Ask a Librarian web form. You can cancel or resubmit requests directly through your HOLLIS Special Request account.
In the Virtual Reading Room:
The Library has scanned and retained a significant amount of material while completing patrons' copy requests. Some collections with a large amount of previously copied material include:
If you would like to learn more about what is available in the Virtual Reading Room, contact us!
202,000 pages! That’s how many pages we scanned for researchers during our closure due to the pandemic. Through an all-out staff effort, we were glad to be able to provide robust scanning services to researchers all over the world at a time when no one could travel.
Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Harvard Radcliffe Institute
3 James St. | Cambridge, MA 02138 | 617-495-8540
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