Unless you know the exact author and/or title of an item, begin with a keyword or subject search. You can try entering keywords or subject terms using the standard search box in HOLLIS or, to find only items held by the University Archives, use the HOLLIS Expanded Search.

• Be creative with keywords.
• Remember to use terms contemporaneous with the material for which you are looking. For example, use commons for dining.
• Limit your search to the Harvard Archives.
• Remember that you can also browse HOLLIS by topic.
• You can also browse by University office or department.

When you find a HOLLIS record that interests you:

• Note the Archives call number (it will start with HU or UA).
• Click on the Availability link next to Locations/Orders for more information.
• Click on a useful subject heading link to find records of related or similar materials.
• Click on a detailed inventory link if available.
• Click on an Internet link if available.

Searching for Undergraduate Honors Theses

• If you know the exact title or author of a thesis, use the standard author or title search.
• If you are looking for all undergraduate honors theses from a particular department, search by keyword (e.g. classics, music, sociology.
• Add a year date to your keywords if you are looking for theses from a particular year.

Searching for Doctoral Dissertations

• If you know the exact title or author of a dissertation, use the standard HOLLIS author or title search.
• If you are looking for all dissertations on a particular subject, search by keywords, including Harvard thesis with your subject term.
• To limit your search to PhD dissertations, include ph with your other keywords.
• To limit your search to EdD dissertations, include ed with your other keywords.
• To limit your search to ThD dissertations, include th with your other keywords.

Links to Other Online Catalogs

• OASIS (Online Archival Search Information System) provides electronic access to information about manuscript and archival collections at Harvard.
• VIA (Visual Information Access) is the union catalog of visual resources and images at Harvard.