ISAW Library makes donation to the National Library of Greece

By Gabriel McKee
04/05/2018

Over the last decade, the ISAW Library has acquired or received donations of entire libraries of several individual scholars, and in the process has acquired a number of duplicate volumes, as well as materials outside the scope of the Institute. In light of ISAW's academic mission to support the study of the ancient world, the Library has committed itself to placing as many such volumes as possible at institutions where they are likely to have a profound and lasting scholarly or pedagogical impact. This winter, the ISAW Library continued this practice with the donation of several hundred books to the National Library of Greece.

The National Library of Greece receives materials published in Greece through donations from publishers, and has a limited budget for acquiring material published elsewhere. Moreover, in conjunction with its relocation to new, state-of-the-art facilities, the library is expanding its mission. Historically, it has been a research institution, focused on serving an academic patron base interested in Greek history and culture. Going forward, the library will continue to serve researchers while also providing access to materials for a broader base of users of all ages and levels of education. We hope that the donation of materials from the ISAW Library will serve both aspects of this expanded mission.

The ISAW Library’s donation to the National Library of Greece contained approximately 2,500 books and journals on Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the Near East. The materials in the donation run the gamut from popular works to archaeological publications, and thus should prove useful to all manner of patrons in the National Library of Greece’s expanding mission, enhancing academic research as well as broader cultural awareness. Filippos H. Tsimpoglou, Director General of the Library of Greece, thanked ISAW for the donation, adding: “We greatly appreciate receiving books that strengthen our collections and promote cultural ties between countries. With your important and valuable contribution, well be able to enrich the Hellenic Studies and Humanities Collections.” Andreas Vyridis, Assistant to the Director, added: “This is a great donation with many interesting treasures.” We are happy to have had the opportunity to assist the National Library of Greece in expanding its collection and serving its growing patron base.