Comment by throwaway2037
7 months ago
I am surprised that a Harvard student ID was required. A long time ago, in the US, all university libraries were open the public. It was a requirement to receive federal funding. Perhaps this has changed, or Harvard forgoes federal funding for certain libraries in order to keep them more restricted. (Does anyone know the full story in 2025?)
I found a visitor access page here: https://library.harvard.edu/visitor-access
If you want to see something special, like the Magna Carta, I am sure you can send an email to the special collections supervisor. They would probably be more than happy to grant you one day entry.
Related:
Digitising the Magna Carta: https://hls.harvard.edu/today/magna-carta-making-history-ava...
Collection of manuscript Magna Cartas and early English statutes, ca. 1300-1577: https://listview.lib.harvard.edu/lists/hollis-014294028
Magna Carta, approximately 1300. Manuscript. HLS MS 172, Harvard Law School Library: https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:49364859$1i
The real issue often is local high schoolers and middle schoolers. Several college librarians told me that they hated to keep them out, but they were loud and not really interested in studying. They were getting away from their parents.