Collection Services Information
The staff of the Collection Services Division is responsible for building, organizing, and maintaining the collections of the Harvard Law School Library. Selecting materials for the Library, ordering those materials, checking them in, cataloging and binding them, and transferring them to the Harvard Depository when necessary these are only some of the functions performed by the Division. Listed below are some of the functions and staff members that users of the Library may have reason to call upon.
Collection Development
Print, microform, and electronic materials are selected for the Library by a number of staff members. Responsibility for selection is assigned along jurisdictional and regional lines, as follows.
U.S., U.K., Common Law: Michelle Pearse, Bibliographer for Anglo-American Law
Western Europe, International Law: Bridget Reischer, Bibliographer for Western European and International Law
East Asia: Nongji Zhang, Bibliographer for East Asian Law
Eastern Europe: Leena Siegelbaum, Bibliographer for Eastern European Law
Islamic Law: Lesley Wilkins, Bibliographer for Law of the Islamic World
Recommendations for purchase can be directed to any of these individuals. The Library makes every effort to honor requests that fall within our collecting guidelines.
Acquisitions
Materials are acquired by the staff of the Acquisitions Department, under the direction of Harold Moren, Acquisitions Librarian. He is also the person to contact concerning deposit of theses or third year papers.
Serials
Serial publications (law reviews, newspapers, loose-leaf services, etc.) are under the jurisdiction of Margaret Cianfarini, Serials Librarian, and her staff.
Cataloging
Ann Sitkin, Cataloging Services Librarian, directs a department of professional and support staff, who are responsible for cataloging all materials added to the Library. Materials that have been received but not yet cataloged can be requested for rush cataloging through the Reference or Circulation Departments.
Preservation
Will Meredith, Preservation Librarian, directs a staff that is responsible for binding library materials, preparing them for the stacks, repairing and otherwise conserving older books and manuscripts, and overseeing the microfilming of deteriorated materials. The Preservation Department is also concerned about environmental conditions for the collections, and they are the people to call if you should happen to discover water, food, or vermin in the stacks. You may contact Will Meredith via email at meredith@law.harvard.edu, or Pam Peifer, Preservation Supervisor, via email at peifer@law.havard.edu.
Collection Management
Jean Shady, Collection Management Librarian, is responsible for two different kinds of activities. First, she and her staff convert and update older catalog records to newer records in HOLLIS. Second, they are responsible for transferring older parts of the Library's collection to the Harvard Depository Library, where they are under proper storage conditions and are available on 24-hour notice. More than 25% of the Library's collection is now at the Depository Library.