An upcoming renovation to Houghton Library will modernize its research and teaching facilities, expand its exhibition galleries, improve physical access to its spaces and holdings, and create a more welcoming, inviting, and accessible environment.
The renovation represents a key component of a larger vision for the rare books library, which celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. It serves as a research center and teaching laboratory for students and faculty across many disciplines that use primary sources, hosting nearly 300 class visits each year and programming a series of exhibitions and events that draw a range of visitors from across Harvard and surrounding communities. To expand its reach vastly, the library’s digitization efforts have placed its collections within reach of researchers around the world.
[Clip]
The renovations were made possible through generous donations, including a major gift from philanthropist and bibliophile Peter J. Solomon ’60, M.B.A. ’63, and his wife, Susan, whose extensive collection of rare and treasured children’s literature and illustrations provided the catalyst for the renovation. The Solomon collection includes a copy of the suppressed first edition of “Alice in Wonderland,” as well as additional works by Lewis Carroll, Beatrix Potter, Edward Lear, and other authors. The Solomons’ promised donation sparked an effort to make Houghton more welcoming to the Harvard community and visitors alike.
Source: Harvard Gazette
[Clip]
“Today’s libraries are much more deeply engaged in teaching and outreach, and in an era where digital information is so prevalent, connecting people with our special collections and original materials which resonate with the context of their time and form is a key goal of Harvard Library,” said Thomas. “As a member of the Harvard College Library and Harvard Library, Houghton plays an important role in opening up the magic of collections and libraries to all visitors, as well as supporting research and teaching.”
Construction will begin next September, and the building will be closed until September 2020.
The plans for Houghton align with the commitment by the university, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and Harvard Library to provide more inclusive, welcoming spaces for students, faculty, researchers, staff, and visitors from across campus and around the world. This renovation is a key component of a larger group of initiatives that will ensure Houghton becomes an even more active and valuable resource for current and future generations.
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area.
He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit.
Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.
From an ALA Statement: During the Summer and Fall of 2022, threats directed to public and school libraries and library workers escalated, including the forced temporary closure of five public ...
From a Plan S / cOAlition S Announcement: cOAlition S releases today the end-user portal of the Journal Comparison Service (JCS). This secure, free, online service aims to shed light on publishing ...
From the University of Victoria, Canada: Canada’s genocide is getting harder to deny. So too is the growing recognition that human rights and the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples offer solutions ...
EDGI Releases Report: How Data Gaps and Disparities in EPA Data Undermine Climate and Environmental Justice Screening Tools Johns Hopkins Joins Center For Research Libraries (CRL) ORCID Announces 2023 Board ...
From the American Library Association: With funding from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, the American Library Association (ALA) has published “Programming with Primary Sources: Women’s Suffrage,”a resource ...
From a PEN America News Release: James Patterson, the best-selling author, has donated $2 million to PEN America to build communications capacity and help the premier writers’ organization speak louder ...
From a Introductory Blog Post by Dylan Ruediger and Danielle Miriam Cooper: Today, Ithaka S+R releases findings from one of the largest in-depth studies of teaching practices across social science ...
From Stateline/Pew: There are more than 600 oral history recordings housed where Lina Ortega is an associate curator for the Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma Libraries. Ortega speaks ...
From the University of Louisville: The current and former ownership of one of America’s most respected newspapers has made it possible for a treasure trove of an estimated 3 million ...
Elsevier Appoints Emily Singley to the Newly Created role of Vice President, North American Library Relations Exploring the Potential Role of Citizen Science in the Warning Value Chain for High ...
From the UC Berkeley Library The UC Berkeley Library is full of stories — and not just the ones that line its shelves. The facts you’ll find here are at ...
From The Chicago Tribune: Last week, city and Chicago Public Library officials declared Chicago a sanctuary city for those stories, by establishing “Book Sanctuaries” across the city’s 77 distinct community ...
