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The Harvard Library system comprises about 73 libraries,〔 with more than 18 million volumes. It is the oldest library system in the United States and the largest university library and largest private library system in the world. Based on number of items held (including musical scores, maps, prints, recordings, etc.) it is the fifth largest library in the United States; based only on volumes (generally books), it is the third largest, after the Library of Congress and Boston Public Library.〔American Library Association, "(ALA Library Fact Sheet 22 – The Nation's Largest Libraries: A Listing by Volumes Held )". October 2012.〕 The Harvard Library is the formal name for an administrative entity within the central administration of the University that has responsibility for central library services and policy.〔(Harvard University Library )〕 , Sarah Thomas is the current vice president for the Harvard Library and the Roy E. Larsen Librarian of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The Harvard Library consists of: *Access Services connects the academic community to the vast array of library resources. *Information and Technical Services is responsible for acquiring, licensing and providing access to tangible and online collections in all formats. *Preservation, Conservation and Digital Imaging Services is committed to ensuring that library materials remain secure and usable for contemporary and future scholars by conserving materials, digitizing collections, preserving library content in digital formats and providing robust education and outreach programs. *The Harvard University Archives is the institutional archives of the University. It oversees the University's permanent records, collects Harvard-related manuscripts, papers, and historical materials, and supervises records management across the University. *Finance supports the Library by providing accurate information that assists decision-making, maintaining the integrity of finance systems and completing financial transactions. *Program Management ensures that potential projects and approved projects are managed in a considered, predictable and transparent way. *The Office for Scholarly Communication provides for open access to works of scholarship produced by the Harvard community. ==History== Harvard's library system grew from a bequest in 1638 by John Harvard of 400 books. The location of the library changed over time. Originally it was in the Old College building. In 1676, the library was moved to Harvard Hall, which was where it remained until the building burnt down during the fire in 1764. A new Harvard Hall was built. As time went on space became limited in Harvard Hall, and the library was moved to Gore Hall in 1841. Eventually, Gore Hall was no longer suitable and the books were moved elsewhere in 1912. Around this time, the library spread into more than one building. Some of the libraries were devoted to specialized topics. Over the next century the library grew to become the largest in America, but on January 24, 1764 a major fire destroyed almost all of Harvard's books and scientific instruments. All of the books in the library at the time of the fire were completely burned. The books that had been loaned out when the fire occurred were the only portion of the collection that remained. Books and donations were offered by friends of the college to replace its collections. An eccentric Englishman, Thomas Hollis V of Lincoln's Inn, London, (great-nephew of one of the University's early benefactors), began shipping thousands of specially chosen volumes to the University Library. Hollis continued to send books regularly until his death in 1774 and he also bequeathed £500 for a fund to continue buying books. This became Harvard's first endowed book fund, and is still actively increasing the collections every year. Harvard Library's online catalog, HOLLIS (a bacronym for "Harvard On-Line Library Information System"), is named after him. Some of the books have been digitized within the Google Books Library Project.〔(Harvard Google Project )〕 which was begun as a project developed with leadership and oversight by former Director Sidney Verba. On August 1, 2012, a new Harvard Library organization began operations, designed to improve a fragmented system of 73 libraries across Harvard's Schools with one that promotes University-wide collaboration. Functions that occur within all libraries--Access Services, Technical Services and Preservation Services--were unified to enable greater focus on the needs of the user community. The new structure was developed from recommendations of the Task Force on University Libraries and the Library Implementation Working Group 〔()〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Harvard Library」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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