Harvard Libraries Portal Overview

The Harvard Libraries Portal is a web based service supported by the Harvard University Libraries. It offers the Harvard community access to thousands of electronic information resources, including online catalogs of Harvard collections, catalogs of other institutions, periodical indexes in many subject fields, full text electronic journals, reference works, directories, and much more.

The Portal became available on 20 August 2000, replacing the HOLLIS Plus service. When HOLLIS Plus first became available in September 1994 it contained 17 electronic resources. By mid-2000 it had grown to include almost 1,300 resources and for many users it had become the electronic entry point to the Harvard libraries. In July 2002, the name "HOLLIS Portal" changed to "Harvard Libraries Portal" to coincide with the debut of the new HOLLIS Catalog.

The Portal was designed to improve access to the electronic resources provided by Harvard's libraries. Improvements to lists of portal resources (alphabetic, by subject and by type) make it easier to find a desired resource. Basic information for each Harvard library provides answers to commonly asked questions. The enhanced portal search facility now searches across "library webspace"; providing links to resources on the portal as well as resources and information on individual Harvard library web pages.