Why are some books non-circulating or in-library use?

I can't imagine there being a terribly high demand for the book I want, but the catalog says I can't check it out. Are any exceptions made?

All books in Widener determined to be reference books are categorized as non-circulating, and the only exception we make is for foreign-language dictionaries needed for PhD exams.  These appear in the catalog as "in-library use." While this policy may seem arbitrary, I assure you that the decision to classify a book as reference/non-circulating, is taken seriously and is made jointly by catalogers and reference librarians.  We do so when the items are deemed essential research sources.

For example, The types of international folktales : a classification and bibliography : based on the system of Antti Aarne and Stith Thompson / by Hans-Jörg Uther is an important supplement/revision to the classic Stith Thompson folklore index, the standard publication that classifies folklore by motif.  It might not be used frequently, but it serves a unique purpose and thus must be available in a research library such as Widener for use both by patrons and librarians. 

To mitigate the disappointment of not being able to take out an item, we do have scanning available at no cost. You can scan the portions of the item you need and save them to a USB drive or send them to email.

 

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.