Library Services for KSG Students

Hours (Academic Year)

KSG Library (Ground Floor, Littauer Building)

Monday - Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

8:30 a.m. -11:00 p.m.
8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
12 noon - 11:00 p.m.

Research Assistance

Monday - Friday

10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Extended Study Hall Hours
KSG Library Extended Hours Each night during the fall and spring semesters, the library will remain open two hours past the normal closing time, in order to provide students with additional space for studying. Please note that staffing for this "after hours study hall" will be minimal. The circulation desk and photocopy room will be closed and there will be no access to the Reserves collection. While some space will be reserved for quiet, individual study, most areas of the library will be available to groups of students wishing to study together. Please be sure to have your Harvard ID available if you plan to enter the library during the extended hours. It will be required for admission.

BCSIA Library (Third Floor, Littauer Building)

Monday - Friday

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

User Services Staff

Director: Ellen Isenstein (496-1772)

Research Help: 495-1302  or ksg_library_questions@harvard.edu

Heather McMullen, Head of Access and Research Services
Phone: (617) 495-1304
Email: heather_mcmullen@ksg.harvard.edu

Leslie A. Donnell, Reference Librarian / Senior Cataloger
Phone: (617) 496-1773 or (617) 495-1302
E-mail: leslie_donnell@harvard.edu

Annie Jo Cain, Web Specialist / Reference Librarian
Phone: (617) 495-8945 or (617) 495-1302
E-mail: annie_jo_cain@harvard.edu

Interlibrary Loan:

Tim Conant (495-1300)

Circulation and Reserves: 495-1300 or  ksg_library_reserves@harvard.edu

Head of Access and Research Services:  Position vacant, please call or email Research Help at (617) 495-1302 or ksg_library_questions@harvard.edu

Book Selection: Ellen Isenstein (496-1772)

Research Assistance

The Library's reference staff can help you make efficient use of the vast selection of print and electronic research materials available to Harvard students. We provide assistance in locating specific facts or statistics, gathering information for your PAE, accessing a variety of electronic resources, identifying materials in other libraries, and more. Reference help is available on a walk-in basis, by phone,  by e-mail, or online chat. You can also schedule an appointment with a reference librarian for a research consultation or training on a specific resource. Workshops are offered throughout the year on research techniques using the Web, and a variety of databases available to Harvard students. Consult the "Ask a Librarian" page for different ways of contacting us.

Electronic Research Resources

Harvard Libraries Web Site
The Harvard Libraries Web site is the gateway to the catalog of the Harvard University libraries as well as a vast assortment of electronic resources both at Harvard and beyond.

You can access the Harvard Libraries site from Macs and PC's located in any of the Harvard libraries or from your home or office. Links to the Harvard Libraries page are on the KSG Library's home page and a number of other Harvard Web sites.

The HOLLIS Catalog describes more than thirteen million print and electronic items provided by Harvard's libraries, including everything catalogued by the KSG library.  Some materials in the Harvard library system won't be found in the Hollis Catalog, because they have not been cataloged in a conventional manner. Please consult the Library staff for help in locating these elusive items. You shouldn't assume that Harvard doesn't own something that you can't find.

The Harvard Libraries menu provides a wide choice of electronic resources including the full-text of articles from thousands of newspapers and journals, statistical data,  legal materials, and reference sources such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and directories. 

The KSG Library Web Site
From the KSG Library Web Site,  you can learn  learn more details about the Library’s services, find contact information for library staff, and link directly to many important Harvard library resources.  You can also find information that can help you get started on research on a wide variety of topics.

 Please note: A current Harvard ID number and PIN are needed for remote access to the E-Resources collection and for using some of the features of the HOLLIS catalog, such as renewing books and recalling items that are checked out.  To get a PIN, go to the Harvard PIN Web site (www.pin.harvard.edu)  and follow the directions from there.

Collections

Print Materials
The KSG Library's general book collection is small--by Harvard standards--but carefully selected to meet demand. As a member of the Harvard community, you are entitled to have free access to most of the 13 million books, 100,000 serials and countless other materials that can be found in the collections of the largest university library in the world.

DVD's - The Reel Politik Collection 
The library has a small, but growing collection of feature films, documentaries, investigative journalism segments and the like relating to politics and public policy.    Material includes films such as Fog of War, Fahrenheit 9/11, Wag the Dog,  City of God, and  episodes from the PBS series, Frontline .  DVD's can be borrowed for a 3-day period.  For a current list of DVD's in our collection, click here.

Course Reserves

The Library keeps copies of all required course reading material, including at least two copies of each CMO course packets. Books and other materials are put on reserve at the request of faculty members only.  Reserve items are listed in the HOLLIS catalog along with information about their circulation status. Reserve materials circulate for three hours or, within three hours of closing time, overnight.

Borrowing Library Materials

Books from the general collection may be borrowed from the KSG Library for twenty-eight days and renewed up to five times, unless they have been requested by another user. Some materials, such as reference books, journals, and microforms do not circulate. If you need a book that has been checked out to another borrower, you may recall it, via the HOLLIS catalog, for your own use.

In other Harvard libraries, circulation policies vary. For details consult the library information pages in HOLLIS and on the Harvard Libraries site.

Interlibrary Borrowing
The Library offers an interlibrary borrowing service from libraries throughout the world. We send most of our requests electronically; but material is still generally mailed to us, so please allow a week or two for it to arrive.  Click here for an electronic Interlibrary Loan request form.

Photocopying

There are three photocopiers in the Library for student use. They take Crimson Cash, which is a debit card system used in many Harvard facilities. There is a Value Transfer Station in the hallway just outside the Library where you can add value directly to your Harvard ID.  You can also add value through a credit card charge or your student term bill.  Check the Crimson Cash web site for details.  One of our copiers also accepts coins and bills. The cost of photocopying using Crimson Cash is$.10 a page. Using cash, it is $.15 a page.

Printing

There are two high-speed, networked computers available for printing materials from the library's PCs. Both of them support double-sided printing. You must log into the KSG network before you can print. The cost, which is $.07 a page, will be charged to your term bill.

Laptop Computers & Wireless Network

Wireless networking equipment has been installed in the Library and many other areas throughout the School including in the courtyard). In addition, the Frank and Wendy Raines Reading Room room has many electrical outlets and ports for accessing the Kennedy school network.   Also each study carrel is equipped with an electrical outlet to facilitate the use of your laptop.

Food in the Library

Food is not permitted in the Library; beverages--if you are careful and not near computer keyboards--are acceptable .