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Mission

The Harvard Depository is a climate-controlled storage and retrieval facility designed primarily for the long-term preservation of books and other paper-based materials. In addition, the Depository also serves the records storage needs of Harvard's departments, as regulated by the Records Management Services of the University Archives. The Depository is owned and operated by Harvard University, under the directorship of the Harvard University Library administration.

The guidelines and specifications described on this web site were developed for the special conditions existing at the Harvard Depository and do not constitute recommendations to other entities. This document should not be utilized at other facilities without appropriate internal review.

The mission of the Harvard Depository is to promote effective use of space on the Harvard campus and the retention of financially and historically valuable resources by providing a secure, reliable, and cost-effective archival environment for the storage and retrieval of primarily paper-based materials. Acetate-based film is also suitable for Depository storage.

There are five overarching goals that support the Depository's mission:

1. to protect and preserve the collections entrusted to our care;
2. to meet or exceed client and archival storage industry standards for services;
3. to expend funds prudently to the maximum benefit of clients and the University;
4. to conduct ongoing qualitative and quantitative measurement and continual analysis and reporting of performance; and
5. to sustain a work environment that promotes teamwork, cooperation, and communication as values supporting our mission.