About Special Collections

The Harvard Law School Library has custody of one of the world's most comprehensive collections of research materials for the study of the history of the law. These collections attract visitors from Harvard and beyond, including those who come to the Root Room (the Special Collections reading room) to consult materials first-hand; those who visit the Caspersen Room (the Library’s exhibition hall) to view exhibits of rare books, manuscripts, and legal art; and those who use the collections remotely via Harvard’s online catalogs, electronic resources, and digital collections.

Elihu Root Room -- The Root Room, an inviting room located at the south end of the fourth floor in Langdell Hall, serves as the reading room for special collections. It was named in honor of Elihu Root (1845-1937) when it was opened a year after his death. A leader of the American Bar, Root served on the League of Nations commission that framed the statute for the Permanent Court of International Justice in 1920. The room provides a secure and functional space for the use of the Library’s rare books, manuscripts, and visual materials.  A portrait of Root, acquired by the Library in 1946, hangs outside the entrance to the Root Room.

Caspersen Room -- At the north end of the fourth floor main reading room is the Caspersen Room (formerly the Treasure Room), which serves as an exhibition hall for material in the Library's collections and as a venue for special functions at the School. It was opened in 1948 as a memorial to the School's students and alumni who died in World War I and II. For over five decades the room has been a showcase for printed books, manuscripts, art works and memorabilia that document the history of the law and of the Harvard Law School.  The Caspersen Room is open to the public from 9:00am to 5:00, Monday through Friday. View Caspersen Room event schedule (multi-page PDF)

For more information on how the Special Collections Department came to be one of the premier collections for the study of the history of the law, please see our history page.  For information on the history of our home, the Langdell Library, please see the Library's history page.