"This is only one major way that Harvard will be the library of the 21st century," Cline says.

LIBRARY REFORM

Cline’s efforts fit into a larger reform process across the University’s entire library system.

With the creation of an overarching Harvard Library Board and the appointment of Helen Shenton as executive director, Harvard has taken the first steps towards realizing a long-term centralization process.

The decision, announced this past December, followed the Library Work Group’s publication of wide-reaching recommendations to improve efficiencies in a system facing rising costs and significant redundancies.

"What we intend is to create ... a single university library," Cline adds. "We’ll all work under a big umbrella."

In the past, according to Cline, administrators at Harvard’s different schools have separately dealt with collection strategies at their respective library units.

"We think we can do better by bringing in new alignments," Cline says.

Colleagues say that Cline has always focused on the wider library system.

Director of Development for the Harvard College Library Peggy D. Molander says that Cline ensured that people "understand that college libraries are not just Widener."

"[She is] a wonderful ambassador," Molander says.

Darnton says Cline was an active participant in the discussion to recast the unified Harvard Library.

"Nancy was a crucial voice in developing the ideas in the Work Group," Darton says. "She argued for the best interests of everyone."

Cline was also a principal orchestrator for the historic opening up of its collection to peer institutions, in line with the Work Group recommendations.

This January, Harvard announced that it would begin sharing its 17-million-volume collection with other Ivy League schools and MIT as part of the Borrow Direct program, nearly 10 years after the other schools started the program.