The Baker Old Class (BOC) collection, the original circulating collection in Baker Library, is an integral resource for tracing the development and growth of global business and industry from the late nineteenth century through the first half of the twentieth century. The collection brings together a wide variety of business literature on subjects such as advertising and marketing, banking, business and economic conditions, credit, financial services, organizational and industrial management, public relations, and transportation. It includes corporate histories, directories, government documents, handbooks, pamphlets, and trade publications. The collection is a valuable source for researchers hoping to gather and analyze data not readily available in online resources.

BOC titles are cataloged in the Harvard Library catalog HOLLIS. The collection was cataloged using a unique call number system developed to organize the collection by industry, allowing researchers to readily browse related research materials. Select titles are available digitally. Materials from the collection will have a location starting with Baker Business Special Collections -- Baker Old Class in HOLLIS. 

Materials from the collection do not circulate but are eligible for self-service digital photography and scanning by Special Collections staff for study purposes.

Please Ask Us! or reach out to the Baker Special Collections and Archives Reference Staff directly at specialcollectionsref@hbs.edu if you have questions about searching or using the Baker Old Class collection or any additional questions about our collections or services.