Are any of the libraries open to visitors or tourists?

Information about which libraries will be open to visitors and guests are available at our Visitor Access page.

It is important to contact the Harvard Library Access and Borrowing Office in Widener Library before your visit

Please reach out in advance of your visit to ensure that your authorization is ready and that any offsite materials may be retrieved (offsite retrieval cannot be done on the day of the visit). 

For information about visiting the Harvard campus in general, please see Visiting Harvard.

Service Alert:
  • 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.

Chat

 

Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm

Friday-Saturday 9am-5pm

Sunday 12noon-7pm

Chat is intended for brief inquiries from the Harvard community.

Meet

Talk to a librarian for advice on defining your topic, developing your research strategy, and locating and using sources. Make an appointment now.

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.