<p>Oh my. I’ve made a couple posts on this interview issue and then deleted when I have realized I wasn’t remembering it correctly. It blurs together, that crazy time in their senior year of high school - at least after a few years. Plus I was getting it all mixed up with son’s experience interviewing for a summer program following junior year - that was actually (or at least felt like) a more important interview than any of his college interviews during senior year.</p>
<p>Son’s Harvard interviewer had to keep canceling because of back surgery. There were several at the high school applying to Harvard who became pretty upset and I think one did fly up to interview on campus. She was not accepted if that means anything, which is doubtful. Son’s first interview was for Yale SCEA and he felt that went terribly. The interviewer kept telling him how low his chances were. Yet he got accepted that December. When he called his Yale interviewer with the good news, the woman actually seemed surprised! We didn’t have the impression she really helped his application in any sense. Oh well. As for Harvard, I actually can’t remember if son finally got an interview or not. I do remember he forgot to show up for one of his interviews - I want to say MIT. At that point in the game I felt as if he’d just had it and was going to go to Yale.</p>
<p>Not looking forward to all the interviewing ahead for internships, fellowships, grad programs, etc. Sometimes I think interviewing is a strength for son and other times not. Really seems to depend on the luck of the draw in terms of the chemistry between him and the interviewer.</p>
<p>Even Harvard can’t have it all. Already cut from the budget of the world’s wealthiest university: hot breakfasts for most students and cookies during faculty meetings. Could library holdings be next?</p>
<p>Challenging financial times mean Harvard has to learn to share, not hoard, knowledge, says a new report about the largest university library in the world. </p>
<p>The problem? Journals have gotten more expensive as Harvard has expanded its intellectual horizons to new areas of study.</p>
<p>“The Harvard libraries can no longer harbor delusions of being a completely comprehensive collection, but instead must develop their holdings more strategically,” said the report by a university task force. “To do so, Harvard will need to embrace a model that ensures access to – not necessarily ownership of – scholarly materials needed by faculty, students, and other library users, now and in the future.”</p>
<p>That’s a tall order, given that many of the books, recordings and other holdings in Harvard’s 73 libraries aren’t catalogued the same way. In addition to encouraging more sharing among the university’s fragmented library system, the report recommended that Harvard do a better job collaborating with peer institutions – like MIT – to maximize the amount of materials students and faculty have access to. </p>
<p>Right now, Harvard is the only Ivy League school that’s opted out of a library consortium allowing inter-school loans.</p>
<p>“No single institution can bear the burden of acquiring the entire world’s informational output,” the report said.</p>
<p>The magnificent libraries at Harvard would seem to be very key to its prestige. I know many of the finest professors my son has studied with at Harvard truly exploit the libraries in their teaching. The libraries are a big reason Harvard has such an amazing faculty. </p>
<p>I work for a University of California Institution and we have had to take furlough, and budget cuts can be seen everywhere. Really Harvard is doing little in comaprison. Hot breakfast is such a small expediture it does little to offset the 27% decrease in Harvard’s total endowment. I wonder if that is just a symbolic cut to let students and parents think about Harvard finances so when their development department asks parents for private donations they have a real example to note. I have no doubt that asking for more money for their foundation is most difficult when the endowment hold the title as the biggest in the world. Why do they need more money donors must think to themselves? Libraries are expensive and maybe joining the ivy loan share makes sense. In fact, when we went to visit Cornell two years ago, they specifically talked about Harvard’s snub in the library loan and all on the tour snickered as if to say–who does Harvard think they are?</p>
<p>^I dont see what UCs fiscal woes–a result of CAs ill conceived policieshas to do with Harvards long term strategy for its libraries. Nor do I consider the behavior of a snickering tour group, (apparently afflicted with Crimson envy) at Cornell two years ago, as important data input to future Harvard library decisions.</p>
<p>Harvard has resisted joining library consortia because it feared that it would be the first to get hit for interlibrary loans. In fact, I know that some neighboring institutions are happier paying for their profs to have Harvard library privileges than to buy books for their libraries. It’s cheaper! However, there may be a system whereby interlibrary loans are more evenly distributed as opposed to automatically going to Harvard first.
The cost of libraries ironically has risen because of the cost of scientific journals which are mostly online. Furthermore, scientists are not heavy users of libraries. Its people in the humanities and social sciences who make the greatest use of libraries. But a subscription to a single scientific journal can easily top $20k per year. Harvard has been in discussions with MIT for years about sharing the cost of scientific publications. This is not new. But perhaps something will finally come of these talks.</p>
<p>There is still some streamlining that could be done at Harvard. There is quite a bit of overlap between the College library system and the libraries of the various professional schools (in particular HLS and HBS). </p>
<p>Hot breakfasts: I’m sure that the 275 staffs who were laid off at Harvard wished that the cuts were limited to hot breakfasts. Those who complain that Harvard has not made enough economies don’t know the full story. </p>
<p>As to what does Harvard think it is? Only the fourth largest library system in the world (the wikipedia entry is wrong on this score. Harvard library is much larger than the NY Public Library), and the largest private library.</p>
<p>^ I have a long day today. D and roomie bought tickets on the Sunday morning bus and are regretting it (apparently many are). So guess who is driving a 6 hour round trip (starting at my own home) to get them, and now another girl, back to campus tonight.</p>
<p>My kid took some type of transportation from Harvard yesterday that broke down in Worcester. They did finally get to Yale last night however. Some parent is driving them back tonight. She called this morning around 9 and they already sounded like they were partying. We had thought about going to the games ourselves as we live about 20 miles away.</p>
<p>D just called. I have been given a reprieve. And yes, at 11:30 this morning she said that “It is really fun down here” and “We are all bonding”.</p>
<p>PS maybe not, new call, now ride is uncertain!!</p>
<p>she was on the 5:00 (that left late) and, when she called after arriving at Yale somewhat before 9:00 and I commented on the delay, she mentioned how the 4:00 (with one of her friends on it) had broken down and had no idea where they were at that time</p>
<p>^^Halftime score. Let’s hope for a better second half. </p>
<p>Watching on TV in California, I was interested to see the Harvard advertisement during one of the breaks in the first half to see how Harvard markets itself. Apparently it wants to be known as an athletic powerhouse, because it was all about various student athletes scoring key points in the The Big (football, hockey, & basketball) Game.</p>
<p>^ they showed it on TV - what fun for them!</p>
<p>Now I only cross my fingers that they actually get her and her roommate onto the shuttle back to Harvard. She had me not drive to retrieve them because she was promised (this morning) that they would somehow get her on. To be honest, riding the shuttle with all her fellow crimsons will be a lot more festive than mom’s SUV.</p>