哈佛的圖書館

If we compare professors and students to the host of a university， then the library of a university can be compared to the hallway. The quality of a university， to some extent， is in direct proportion to that of its library. At Harvard， the library is an indispensible part of everybodys life. Both the quantity and the quality of the library make study an enjoyable process.

Harvard Library is not only the most ancient library in the United States， but the largest university library with the largest scale. In 1638 John Harvard donated his whole library to the then Harvard College. After more than 300 years of development， the library now holds over 15 millions of books and comprises more than 100 branch libraries. In addition to the libraries owned by each school， there are special libraries. While most of the branch libraries are on Harvard campus， some are as far as in Washington， DC， or even in Florence of Italy. Yenching Library is famous for its collections of East Asian literature. Lamont Library is the first library in the world that is exclusively for undergraduates. Widener Library is the largest library in Harvard.

What deserves to be mentioned is the system or rather the service of the libraries. Usually the libraries are open from 9 am to 5 pm. The main libraries are open until 10 pm. The libraries for undergraduates will even be open all night during the examination period. The libraries also provide students with the service of preparing reading materials for all courses. At the beginning of a semester， each teacher will give a list of books to the librarians. The librarians are responsible to find out these books and put them at the places where students can easily find them.

There is no limitation for the number of books that students can borrow. As the space for the library is limited， many books are stored in suburban library. Despite this， students can go to fetch the book at the appointed library within 24 hours after they submit request for that book. Even if there is only one book to be fetched from the suburban library， the libraries on campus will send someone to do the job. This kind of service which put readers in the first place is rare even in Ivy League. Therefore， study at Harvard will be an enjoyable experience.

如果把教授和學生比作一所大學的主人，那么大學的圖書館就是門廳。一所大學的質量在一定程度上與其圖書館的質量成正比。在哈佛大學，圖書館是每個人生活中不可或缺的一部分。圖書館的數量和質量都讓在哈佛的學習成為一個享受的過程。

哈佛大學圖書館不僅是美國最古老的圖書館，而且是世界上藏書最多、規模最大的大學圖書館。1638年，約翰·哈佛把他的藏書都捐給了當時的哈佛學院。經過300多年的發展，圖書館目前擁有1500多萬冊藏書，設有100多個分館。哈佛大學不僅每個學院都有自己的圖書館，還有各類專業圖書館。雖然大部分分館都在哈佛大學校內，但也有一些遠在首都華盛頓，甚至在意大利的佛羅倫薩也有分館。燕京圖書館以其東亞文獻收藏而聞名。拉蒙特圖書館是世界上第一所本科生專用的圖書館。懷德納圖書館是哈佛最大的圖書館。

值得一提的是各圖書館的體系，或者確切地說是服務。通常圖書館的開放時間是從早上9點到下午5點。主要的圖書館閉館時間延遲到晚上10點，本科生專用的圖書館在考試期間則通宵開放。圖書館還為學生提供所有課程的閱讀材料。在新學期開始時，任課教師會給圖書館一個書單。圖書管理員負責找出這些書，并把書放在便于學生查找的地方。

學生借書沒有限量。因為圖書館空間有限，很多書都存放在郊外的藏書庫。盡管如此，學生在提交索要某本書的申請后的24小時內就可以到指定的圖書館取書。即使只有一本書需要從郊外的藏書庫提取，校內的圖書館也會派人去取。這種讀者至上的服務即使在常春藤盟校也是極為難得的。因此，在哈佛大學學習將會是一次非常愉快的經歷。