Borrow, Renew, Request
Policies and services applicable to all library users are available at Help & Services. Policies unique to faculty include provisions that:
- Research Assistants may borrow library materials on behalf of faculty as proxies. You can request authorization by completing the Harvard Library Proxy Application Form.
- Faculty and their proxies may borrow reference books for up to three hours. A staff member in Access Services can assist you.
Course Reserves
HDS Library staff make course readings available electronically through Canvas course sites in keeping with copyright regulations.
Whole books from the circulating collection can also be placed on physical reserve.
Faculty should send a copy of each of their course syllabi as an email attachment to reserves@hds.harvard.edu well before the beginning of each semester. If a syllabus is later revised, a revised copy can be sent to reserves@hds.harvard.edu with the subject line “Revised Syllabus.”
Readings are posted to Canvas under the Library Reserves tab in one of two ways:
- Readings that are available electronically—either from a provider from whom Harvard has purchased a license or from an open-access source—are linked to the appropriate Canvas course site directly from the source.
- Readings that are available only in print are scanned and posted to Canvas in keeping with University fair-use guidelines.
By sending a syllabus to the library for this purpose faculty confirm their understanding and intention that scanned readings will be used in a way that is compatible with fair use.
Questions about this service can be addressed to reserves@hds.harvard.edu.
Curricular and Research Support
One-on-One Consultation
HDS instructors can consult individually with the librarians on research projects or arrange for subject-specific orientations to Harvard Library resources. To schedule a meeting, contact Research Services.
Group Instruction
The research librarians can demonstrate to classes or sections how to use subject-specific resources and library services. To discuss scope and schedule a session, contact Research Services.
Teaching with Special Collections
Harvard’s archives and special collections offer unique teaching and learning opportunities for faculty and students. To find out more about this or schedule a session at the library, contact Research Services.
Open Access Policy
In keeping with its commitment to disseminating the fruits of its research and scholarship as widely as possible, the Harvard Divinity School faculty voted on November 15, 2010 to adopt an open access policy for scholarly articles. The HDS Open Access Policy enables free online access to scholarly articles authored by HDS faculty that have been deposited in DASH (Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard), Harvard University's central, online, open access repository.
The Harvard Divinity School Library facilitates implementation of the HDS Open Access Policy. Questions may be directed to Rebecca Villarreal, research librarian and HDS open access liaison to the Office of Scholarly Communication at 617.384.6804.