LIFE AT DRCLAS

Buildings and Grounds
The David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies is located on 1730 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02138 - just a few blocks from Harvard Yard. The main phone number is +1 (617) 495-3366 and the fax number is +1 (617) 496-2802.

Visiting Scholars receive shared office space and a telephone equipped with voicemail. We also provide computers with internet access for the use of each scholar or fellow. You may bring your own computer if you wish. A shared printer is available for the exclusive use of Visiting Scholars, and you will have full access to photocopiers, fax machines and office supplies as needed.

Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The University is not staffed on official holidays. Also, the university takes a full week holiday from December 24 through January 1. Buildings are locked on these holidays, but the facilities are always accessible to fellows.

Events
The Center is the hub of an impressive array of activities, from film showings to book presentations, from lectures to large international conferences. In one month alone, we could host as many as 40 events. In such a busy place it is often challenging to keep up and be informed. The Center publishes a monthly calendar of activities. In addition, DRCLAS sends regular announcements via email. As a Center associate, you will be listed on our directory and added to our mailing/email distribution list. While some of you may prefer a more quiet life, we'd like to remind you that events offer a very valuable opportunity to network and get to know other faculty at Harvard. Fellows and Visiting Scholars are actively encouraged to present their work, either through a lecture presentation like the Tuesday Seminar series or by contributing to our publications such as ReVista: Harvard Review of Latin America or our Working Paper Series.

The best resource for events and other opportunities throughout the University is Harvard Gazette. This newspaper is published weekly and distributed to all Harvard affiliates. There are also a variety of student-run newspapers, such as the Harvard Crimson, and calendars published by the various schools.

Research
Harvard University Library
The library, dating from 1638, is the oldest library in the United States and the largest university library in the world. It now contains more than 13 million volumes, in addition to microforms, maps, photographs, slides, and other materials. The collections are housed in over ninety separate libraries, most located in Cambridge and Boston, but others as distant as Washington, DC, and Florence, Italy.

The library collections described in A Guide to the Harvard College Library (four pages), obtainable from Widener Library, represent only a part of the University library's extensive resources. Printed guides to particular libraries and collections are available. Many libraries offer additional orientation services, such as tours, bibliographic instruction, and introductory workshops on the Internet, LexisNexis, HOLLIS Plus, as well as specialized sessions on, for example, "Finding Resources on the Internet Using Gopher and/or World Wide Web."

For questions concerning services at any Harvard library, fellows are advised to call or visit the library or to consult the on-line HOLLIS Catalog. Many libraries have shortened hours during vacations and inter-sessions, longer hours during exam periods, and have limited services during evening hours. Some research collections are non-circulating; in many other collections, certain materials cannot be checked out or taken from the library.
The Widener Information Desk Services number is (617) 495-4686. For information about borrowing privileges for domestic partners and offspring (over 18 years of age), call (617) 495-4166 or stop by the Privileges Desk, Widener Library 195 (behind the guard's desk at the Harvard Yard entrance).

A reference librarian will provide information about Harvard Libraries and their Latin America-related holdings during Orientation.

Parking
Parking on the street in Cambridge is available to those with a Cambridge resident parking sticker. Please note that parking permits are neighborhood specific, and that even if you do have a parking permit to park your car in your home neighborhood, the permit may not be valid for use near the Center. Please do not park in unmetered spaces without a resident permit. Cambridge police patrol and ticket regularly. Please be mindful of street cleaning days and check signs for dates. Please be sure to read the street signs before you park; Cambridge does tow! Unless you will be commuting from outside Cambridge, you may find that you do not need to drive to DRCLAS. In addition, Harvard University Shuttle Bus Services is available for campus travel, free with your ID card. For schedules and routes call Shuttle Bus at 617-495-0400.

Public transportation in the greater Boston area is easy and accessible as well. See Getting Around Cambridge and Boston.

Personal Responsibility
All members of the DRCLAS community, staff, affiliates and Visiting Scholars are asked to kindly clean up after themselves around the Center, particularly in common areas such as the resource room and the kitchen. This includes washing one's own dishes and cleaning surfaces after use. All people are expected to be cooperative, considerate and to maintain and clean their respective areas.

ABOUT HARVARD

Getting Around Harvard
Your fellowship appointment entitles you to "Officer" status and, therefore, use of Harvard facilities and other resources. Your Harvard ID card will allow you access to these facilities and resources. Officer status entitles you to the following: auditing privileges for most courses offered at Harvard (except the Extension School) with approval by individual professors; borrowing and stack privileges at University libraries; and access to most Harvard Athletic Facilities for a semester fee. The Harvard Faculty Club's dining facilities are also available to fellows. (You will be billed directly.) To take advantage of these opportunities, you will need to visit the Harvard ID office in the 3rd floor of Holyoke Center (Harvard Square) and pick up your card.

City & University Ordinances
Cambridge No-Smoking Ordinance
The City of Cambridge has a no-smoking ordinance that prohibits smoking in "any room to which the public is invite of the public is permitted." In accordance with the City of Cambridge and University policy, DRCLAS is a non-smoking campus. Although smoking is permitted on porches and grounds, it is not allowed anywhere inside the Center.

Harvard University Policy on Drugs and Alcohol
Laws relating to controlled substances or alcohol are strictly enforced at Harvard. Any violations on Harvard premises, in vehicles provided by Harvard, at any work site or location at which University duties are being performed by Harvard employees or as part of any activities at Harvard are prohibited. This policy applies to all people affiliated with Harvard University. You may obtain a description of local, state, and federal laws concerning drugs and alcohol from the Harvard Office of the General Counsel.

Campus Safety
The Harvard University Police web site helps to inform students, staff and affiliates about campus security, police services, and safety practices. A very useful guide for safety and reference is Playing It Safe Handbook. In case of any emergencies or to report a crime, please contact the Harvard Police at (617) 495-1212.

911 is the telephone number to use when police, fire or emergency medical assistance is needed in an emergency situation. This service is available through the city of Cambridge, Boston and Somerville. It is also available in many towns throughout Massachusetts and the US. 911 is a valuable resource for any emergency while on campus or at home.

Recreation
Harvard University Athletics Facilities
Athletic passes for fellows range in price depending on the activity. Family passes are also available. There are a variety of athletic facilities and opportunities available to fellows. For more information on obtaining athletic passes and schedules call the Athletics Ticket Office, (617) 495-3322, located at the Murr Center, 65 North Harvard Street or see the Harvard University Athletics web site for more details.

Harvard also offers a variety of formal recreation classes through the Department of Athletics. Staff members with a Harvard I.D. and an athletic sticker can register for a wide range of classes, including aerobics, racquetball, swimming, yoga, karate, and ballroom dancing. For more information, see the schedule of recreational classes.

Pets
Although we love them, they are not allowed inside the building.

GETTING AROUND CAMBRIDGE AND BOSTON

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), also known as the T, operates area bus, commuter rail, and subway systems. The closest T stop is at Harvard Square on the Red Line, which connects to the Orange, Blue, and Green Lines. Most T subway fares are currently $1.00. One bus route, Bus 86, stops directly in front of the Center. This bus can be taken at Harvard Square and runs roughly every 20 minutes. The bus fare is currently 75 cents. Monthly passes are available at a significant savings through Harvard University, and can also be purchased for their full prices at the Harvard Square subway stop.

Area Events
Boston has two daily newspapers, the Boston Globe and Boston Herald. Thursday's edition of the Globe contains the Calendar section of activities and events in the Boston/Cambridge area. The Cambridge Chronicle is Cambridge's local newspaper and is published on Thursdays. Other weekly newspapers include the Bay State Banner (with a focus on Boston's black community); Bay Windows (Boston's gay and lesbian community); Boston Phoenix (urban alternative, FREE); and El Mundo (serving the Latina[o] community). All of these newspapers have extensive arts and entertainment listings.

RESOURCES FOR YOUR FAMILY

Childcare
DRCLAS does not provide child care, but child care is available in many forms in the Cambridge/Boston area. Costs vary depending on needs.
There are six independently incorporated, tuition-funded day care centers at the University. The Office of Work and Family provides information about these centers, as well as a variety of child care options in Cambridge, Boston, and the surrounding communities. Contact the office at (617) 495-4100 or work_family@harvard.edu.

A good source of after-school childcares is Harvard students who typically charge $10 per hour. You can access a database of students who provide childcares services through the Student Employment Office.

Schools
Harvard does not have an affiliated school for children. However, there are several public or private school options in the area. Some schools even offer programs for English as a Second Language (ESL). To learn more about placement options and find out which documents are necessary for this process:

Cambridge Public Schools: tel. (617)349-6552 / http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.usHarvard International Office/ Families: http://www.hio.harvard.edu/
Massachusetts Department of Education: http://www.doe.mass.edu/

Harvard Neighbors
Harvard Neighbors is a University-based volunteer organization that sponsors a variety of cultural and educational programs, such as family outings and language conversation groups, with the end of helping Harvard affiliates feel "at home." They also host informal get-togethers for newcomers to Harvard. To join their mailing list and find out about their activities, visit their website at http://www.neighbors.harvard.edu.