ABSTRACT
The Harvard University Library is actually a decentralized system of nearly 100 libraries. They range in size from the main research library, with well over 3 million volumes, to small departmental collections counted in the hundreds. They are geographically dispersed among nine cities, four states, and two countries. The governance structure is complex, with administrative and fiscal responsibility for the units divided among nine Harvard faculties and a variety of affiliated museums, institutions, and research centers.
