The Arts, Archives, and Special Collections Reading Room in Houghton Library is free and open to all people wishing to use material from Houghton, the Harvard University Archives, and paper-based special collections from the Loeb Music Library and the Harvard Film Archive.
All visitors to the Reading Room must register for a HOLLIS Special Request account to request materials. All requests for material must be received at least 3 business days in advance. Additionally, appointments are required to guarantee a seat.
Please note: Patron registration and circulation records are kept in perpetuity. These records are kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. Names of researchers using Houghton Library’s Emerson collections and New Directions collections are shared with the boards of trustees for those collections.