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Alert COVID-19 Update

Harvard University and Harvard Law School shifted to remote teaching and learning, as of Monday, March 23. For more information and the latest updates, please visit the HLS coronavirus information page.

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Request a Class Visit

Request a Class Holding Classes at the Harvard Law School Library’s Historical & Special Collections

Historical & Special Collections (HSC) at the Harvard Law School Library welcomes classes from Harvard and other local colleges to use its collections. Classes are welcome to visit between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday. Some visits outside these hours may be arranged. Classes can be held in the Root Room, HSC’s reading room; the Caspersen Room, the Law School Library’s exhibit space; or Areeda 524, a small library conference room.

Please use the Harvard Special Collections and Archives Class Request Tool to set up a reservation. First time users will need to set up a user account. Once your room reservation has been confirmed, you can begin to choose the material you wish to show your students. Our holdings are found in HOLLIS, the main Harvard Library catalog; HOLLIS for Archival Discovery, Harvard Library’s archival collection guides, finding aids, and inventories ; and HOLLIS Images, Harvard Library’s dedicated image catalog.

You can also explore the descriptions of our collections on HSC’s website, our exhibit website, and HSC posts on the Harvard Law School Library blog. HSC staff is also available to suggest material that is relevant to your course.

To ensure the best experience for your class and that space is available, early reservations are essential. Requests must be submitted at least five business days before the class is scheduled to meet so that we have sufficient time to gather material and find substitutes for any material that is too fragile to use. We encourage instructors to schedule a pre-class discussion with HSC staff to select materials and finalize arrangements.

To request a class visit, please enter the Special Collections and Archives Class Request Tool by clicking the image above. You can also contact HSC staff by e-mail. We look forward to working with you.