Since 1886, with an ever increasing selection of print and digital resources, the Library has supported the breadth and depth of the BSA’s research mission, acting as a vital connection between the BSA, its members, and the broader community.
Library
Originally housed in the Director’s Residence when the BSA was founded in 1886, a section of the growing collection was housed in the new Hostel building in 1897 and finally moved into the Penrose Library extension of the Hostel in 1903. Since then the library space has expanded many times and now extends over two main rooms with additional space on an upper floor and in the basement. Support for expansion has come from the Friends of the BSA and from benefactors, such as Lou Kollakis, who enabled its most recent extension. The collections likewise have benefited from generous donations, starting with the estate of George Finlay and extending to the most recent donation of over 3,700 volumes in modern Balkan history by Prof. Richard Clogg.
The collection supports research on the Hellenic world from the Palaeolithic through to the present day. The library’s holdings comprise more than 70,000 titles, plus over 1,300 journal titles. Access to an increasing number of electronic resources is also provided. Subjects covered include:
- Philology
- History
- Art
- Archaeology
- Material Sciences
- Anthropology
- Travellers
Within this subject range the library includes in-depth collections in:
- Epigraphy
- Prehistory
- Archaeological Theory and Sciences
- Museology
- Byzantine Art and Architecture
- Balkan and Black Sea journals
Members of the BSA can request a VPN connection that will allow them access to BSA library’s digital resources remotely. For more information please contact IT-Officer, Nathan Meyer.
Latest update 04 Nov 2021:
We are pleased to inform you that the Library is currently open to members and readers. Readers have access 9am – 7 pm Monday – Friday, and Members have 24 hour access seven days a week.
Numbers of users will be restricted to a maximum of 34 to ensure adequate physical distancing and seating has been adjusted accordingly. Users are required to wear double masks at all times, and a distance between people of at least 1.5 must be maintained.
We request that members and readers to have a vaccination certificate or a recent certificate of recovery OR take a PCR or rapid test for covid-19 within 48 hours before their visit. Self testing will not be acceptable. A condition for library use is that they must declare via a ‘tick box’ when signing in that a negative test has been received within the past week. Please contact the library personnel for more details regarding safety measures.