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Religion Collections in Libraries and Archives: Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia

Center for Hellenic Studies Library

Introductory Information

Center for Hellenic Studies Library External

Address: 3100 Whitehaven Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Telephone number: 202-745-4400

Contact information: [email protected]

Online catalog External

Digital Collections link External See Hollis Images and Hollis for Archival Discovery

Access Policies

Hours of service External

Open to the public: Yes, by appointment

Interlibrary loan: Available to Residential CHS Fellows only

Reference policy: Reference requests are accepted by: email

Open with restrictions; previous permission is necessary. Potential visitors must submit a formal application for library access. Go to: https://chs.harvard.edu/about/library/library-visitor-policies/ External

The collection is highly specialized and intended to support post-doctoral, graduate, and advanced undergraduate research. Genealogists and general readers will find other libraries more appropriate. The library staff directs inquiries to local libraries when appropriate, but specific titles not found at other libraries may be consulted at the Center. The library's subject holdings are restricted to the Ancient World (before 500 AD). The Center library does not hold significant collections in Byzantine (Medieval) Greek Studies or Modern Greek Studies.

Background note:
The Center for Hellenic Studies, is a part of Harvard University. It opened in 1961. Each year post-doctoral Residential Fellows conduct research at the Center during the academic year.

Content

Books and monographs
The collection holds approximately 77,000 books. Primary literature includes the complete works and fragments of ancient Greek writers, collections of inscriptions, and papyrological fragments. Secondary literature in the collection is primarily from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries.

The primary subject focus of the collection is all aspects of Ancient Greek Civilization. A secondary focus is Classical Studies. The geographic focus includes Ancient Greece, Greek Asia Minor, and the Greek colonies of the Ancient World. More selective coverage is given to Classical Italy and the Near East. Ancient Greek Religion is a primary subject focus. More selective coverage is given to Roman Religion, Early Christianity, Hellenistic Judaism, and other religions in the Ancient Mediterranean region.

Periodicals and newspapers
Approximately 300 subscriptions and approximately 25,000 volumes from the 19th century to the present covering Classical Civilization. Many of these have some coverage pertaining to Ancient Greek and Roman Religion. Strengths of the journals collection are the same as those above for monographs. The library does not hold newspapers.

L'Annee Philologique: Bibliographie Critique et Analytique de l'Antiquite; Greco-Latine (Paris: Societe d'edition "Les Belles Lettres", 1924- ) is a good source for the articles in these journals.

Microforms
Series Papyrology on Microfiche: 1st Series; Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum.

Databases and/or electronic resources External See databases

Digital collections External See Hollis Images and Hollis for Archival Discovery

Subject Headings

Ancestors--Religious aspects; Bible; Burial--Greece--History; Burial--Rome--History; Cults; Death--Religious aspects; Early Christianity; Greece--Religion; Mystery religions; Mythology, Ancient; Mythology, Classical; Mythology and art; Reincarnation; Religion in literature; Rome--Religion; Shrines--Greece; Tombs--Greece; Tombs—Rome