What happened to Harvard Digital Collections (HDC)? How can I search for digital collections at Harvard Library?
The Harvard Digital Collections platform was retired on July 31, 2024.
All digitized materials previously available through Harvard Digital Collections will remain accessible through other platforms. You can continue to discover and access these materials via:
- HOLLIS (best for general searching)
- CURIOSity (best for curated sets of digital items)
- HOLLIS for Archival Discovery (best for archival collections & finding aids)
- HOLLIS Images (best for image collections)
Conducting your search in these systems will return results similar to those from Harvard Digital Collections.
If you've saved links from the Harvard Digital Collections pages and are wondering what links will continue to work, the Harvard Digital Collections browser URLs and Harvard Digital Collections "permalinks" (created by the outdated software being retired) will no longer work. Links to IIIF manifests will.
Examples of links that no longer work after July 31, 2024:
- From the Harvard Digital Collections URL (the web address beginning with https://digitalcollections.library.harvard.edu)
- Permalinks taken from the "Tools and Related Links" sections of item listings within Harvard Digital Collections:
The IIILF Manifest links that will continue to work look like this:
- Viewer URL: https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/ids:2819914$1i
- JSON URL: https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/ids:2819914
- Ask a Librarian services, including chat and email, will be suspended from December 21, 2024 through January 1, 2025. Queries received during this time will be answered as soon as possible following our return on January 2.
- If you're experiencing an ongoing technical issue when you attempt to access library materials with your HarvardKey during these times, please report it to Library Technology Services.
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These services are intended primarily for Harvard University faculty, staff and students. If you are not affiliated with Harvard, please use these services only to request information about the Library and its collections.