Harvard Library Launches Collections Explorer MVP

[Stuart Snydman]

Dear colleagues,

I’m pleased to share that Harvard Library has launched the MVP of Collections Explorer, our new AI-powered discovery interface developed through the Reimagining Discovery initiative.

Collections Explorer lets users search across special collections using natural language questions, such as:

• “What was used before modern anesthesia?”

• “What is the history of MRI technology?”

This early version of the platform features semantic search and AI-generated features like related prompts and justifications for results. Currently, the dataset is limited to published finding aids from ArchivesSpace. In future phases, we plan to expand to additional content types such as digitized images, full text, open access publications, and born-digital materials.

🔗 Explore it here: https://collex.lib.harvard.edu
📝 Details about the launch: Collections Explorer MVP Blog Post

This project is part of a multi-year effort to make Harvard’s collections more accessible through emerging technologies like semantic retrieval and generative AI.

We’ll be sharing more at Fantastic Futures 2025 this December — including technical lessons learned and future directions.

Warm regards,

Stu Snydman
Associate University Librarian and Managing Director, Library Technology
Harvard University