This page provides information about the history and mission of the Harvard Library with links to its programs, initiatives, news, and events.
History
Harvard’s libraries are rooted in the 1638 bequest of 400 books from John Harvard, and today they hold the largest academic collection in the world. More than 70 libraries in four cities and two continents contain approximately 18 million volumes, 13 million digital files, more than 100,000 serial titles, 10 million photographs and millions of manuscripts, musical recordings, films and artifacts. These materials, and the expertise of Library staff members, support more than 20,000 students, 2,100 faculty members and 13,000 staff members, 10,500 hospital-based faculty members and an international community of scholars.
Mission Statement
The Harvard Library advances scholarship and teaching by committing itself to the creation, application, preservation and dissemination of knowledge.