Harvard Kennedy School

HKS Library Newsletter

August @ HKS Library 😎

The HKS campus has been getting much livelier as new students start arriving. We in the HKS Library have loved getting to know the incoming MC/MPA and MPA/ID cohorts so far. Welcome, everyone!

As the fall semester approaches, we're also thrilled to share that the newly renovated HKS Library has now fully reopened! Details below.

In this newsletter you'll find (a lot!):

Newly renovated library now open with expanded hours 🏛️
New student orientation slide deck 👋
Register for Data Carpentry 📊
Get free access to popular news outlets 📰
Start using Zotero to organize & cite your sources 📝
Meet with a librarian 📅
Spouse/domestic partner access to Harvard libraries 💌
New book display: Antiracism & Gender Equity Summer Reading Lists 📚
Book recommendations from Harvard librarians 📖
More library events 🎉

Newly renovated library now open with expanded hours 🏛️

We're so excited to welcome the HKS community and beyond back into the library! Since late May, contracting crews and library staff have been hard at work improving the space. We've made accessibility upgrades, increased the amount of study space, added study-supportive furniture, brightened the space, and enabled the library to stay open for longer hours.

One of the biggest improvements is that the HKS Library is now open everyday, 7:00AM-11:00PM (whenever HKS campus buildings are open). Library staff will not be available at all hours, so whenever the Service Desk is closed you'll need to:

Tap into the HKS Library with your HUID.
Return books and borrowed technology in the book drop at the library entrance.
Call HKS Security at 617-495-1330 if you notice any problems in the space.

Summer Hours (Now-August 31)

Library Space
- Everyday, 7:00AM-11:00PM
Service Desk
- Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM
Research Librarians
- Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM

Fall Hours (September 1-December 20)

Library Space
- Everyday, 7:00AM-11:00PM
Service Desk
- Monday-Thursday, 8:00AM-8:00PM
- Friday, 8:00AM-6:00PM
- Saturday, 12:00-5:00PM
- Sunday, 12:00-8:00PM
Research Librarians
- Monday-Friday, 9:00AM-5:00PM

View the HKS Library's full hours and holiday exceptions.

Table and chairs next to a bookshelf in the HKS Library overlooking plants in the Winter Garden.

New student orientation slide deck 👋

If you attended one of the HKS Library's recent new student orientation sessions, the slide deck we presented now lives in the HKS Hub. In it you'll find links to HOLLIS, Zotero, free news access, library events, and more.

View the HKS Library's orientation slides in the HKS Hub (HarvardKey required).

Register for Data Carpentry 📊

Data Carpentry is a two-day, beginner-friendly workshop that will give you the foundational knowledge to take on data-intensive research with confidence. You'll learn:

Day 1 (September 6): How to enter, format, and organize your data in spreadsheets. How to start using R to analyze your data.
Day 2 (September 13): How to clean and fix errors in your data with OpenRefine. How to start using R to visualize your data.

This workshop is geared toward graduate students and other researchers at HKS and beyond. You don't need to have any previous knowledge of the tools presented at this workshop. We do ask that you commit to attending both days!

Find details and register for Data Carpentry.

Get free access to popular news outlets 📰

Current HKS students, staff, and faculty can get free access to popular news sources like The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Economist, and more.

For some outlets, you can sign up for an individual subscription. This means you can create a personal account and access content as though you had a paid subscription. For other outlets, you can access content through Harvard's institutional subscription. This means you won't have a personal account, but can read the news via a special link validated with your HarvardKey.

Find details and access instructions in our guide to popular news sources.

Start using Zotero to organize & cite your sources 📝

Zotero is a free citation management tool that keeps all your research resources in one place, automatically formats citations and bibliographies, integrates with Word and Google Docs, downloads web materials with a browser extension, and more.

Former HKS students have said one of the biggest lessons learned during their program was that they should have started using Zotero sooner! Heed their advice and download Zotero now before the semester ramps up.

Make an appointment with a librarian for support using Zotero. Workshops will be offered in September and October.

Meet with a librarian 📅

HKS librarians are here to support your coursework, assignments, and other research projects. We encourage you to make an appointment with a librarian whenever you could use a little guidance.

We can help with your research needs:

Finding articles, books, and policy papers.
Citing sources and using Zotero to manage citations.
Conducting a literature and assessing source quality.
Using AI responsibly.

We can help with your data needs:

Finding, collecting, cleaning, and visualizing data.
Using programming and other software tools.
Implementing analytical methods.
Conducting spatial analysis and using mapping tools.
Managing your data responsibly.

And more!

Students studying in the reading room at Widener Library.

Spouse/domestic partner access to Harvard libraries 💌

If your spouse or domestic partner is in the Cambridge area with you, they can apply to get access to Harvard's many libraries and borrow books.

Fill out this online form for partner borrowing privileges. Once you do, a staff member will reach out to schedule an appointment where you'll receive your card. The appointment will be at Widener Library in Harvard Yard. Find additional details on the partner access/borrowing process.

Covers of 10 books in the Antiracism and Gender Equity Summer Reading Lists book display.

New book display: Antiracism & Gender Equity Summer Reading Lists 📚

The HKS Library's August book display highlights two summer reading lists from HKS research centers:

Check out books from the reading list in the HKS Library and in the digital book display.

Collage of book covers surrounded by a yellow sun illustration over yellow waves on a blue background.

Book recommendations from Harvard librarians 📖

Looking for even more books to round out your end-of-summer? Check out these 17 reading recommendations from Harvard librarians. You'll find romances, mysteries, graphic novels...and maybe even a video featuring one of your very own HKS librarians! (That last one is a shout-out to everyone who's had The Power Broker gathering dust on your shelf since 2020.)

MORE LIBRARY EVENTS 🎉

Hello? It's Me, Your Data! Recommendations & Resources to Manage Research Data

Tuesday, August 20, 2024
1:00-2:00PM
Virtual

This event is open to HKS affiliates.

During this training seminar, we will discuss how to incorporate data management concepts into your research workflows at each stage of the data lifecycle, from data planning and data generation to data storage and cleanup.

IT & Library Pop-Up

Thursday, August 22, 2024
12:00-2:00PM
Sunshine Lobby

This event is open to Harvard affiliates.

Visit your friends in HKSIT and the HKS Library to get candy and swag, install Zotero, set up printing, get on Harvard Wi-Fi, register for upcoming events, and more.

Details »

IT & Library Pop-Up

Wednesday, September 4, 2024
12:00-2:00PM
Sunshine Lobby

Details »

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF LAND AND PEOPLE

Harvard University is located on the traditional and ancestral land of the Massachusett, the original inhabitants of what is now known as Boston and Cambridge. We pay respect to the people of the Massachusett Tribe, past and present, and honor the land itself which remains sacred to the Massachusett People. From the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).

HKS librarians can support your research and academic work. Ask us a question or schedule a meeting.

Contact the Library