Can I hire someone to help with my research at Houghton Library?

Yes, you can.  

We regret that we don’t have enough staff to take on the in-depth research that some projects require, but we do allow and welcome proxy researchers. 

Currently there is no dedicated student research agency, but if you are interested in hiring someone to research on your behalf, you might consider posting a job at the Harvard Student Employment Office or the at Harvard Divinity School. Or you could contact the administrator of the academic department that overlaps your research area to arrange help from a graduate student. For example, contact the English Department if you are working on American poets or the Graduate School of Education if you are studying instruction for girls in 19th-century.