COLLECTIONS:

Special Collections

University Archives

Collection Preservation

Research Collections:
Classical Studies Collection

Collection Overview
The classical studies collection is developed to support the teaching of the Greek and Latin languages and the study of Greek and Latin literatures in the Classical Studies Department. Emphasis is placed on the classical periods for both languages and on the modern period for Greek. Literature is collected in translation to support comparative literary studies and introductory courses. Modern Greek literature and materials on modern Greek history and culture have been acquired by direct purchase in Greece, thanks to periodic visits by a member of the Department. The bulk of English language and bilingual acquisitions are acquired through Yankee Book Peddler. Given the small size of the budget, great reliance is placed on other, larger subject funds for materials relevant to Classical Studies, e.g., Philosophy and History.

Rapid advances in computer and networking technology have resulted in the acquisition of significant electronic resources, including electronic versions of familiar classical studies indexes and digitized full-text editions of primary sources. Classical Studies has been a pioneer in the field of digitized texts and BC has the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, one of the earliest collections of electronic texts produced by modern scholarship. It also has Perseus, a CD-ROM multimedia product which together with the Perseus web site represents one of the most advanced examples of an integrated electronic resource available for learning and research. The classical studies collection program has emphasized acquisition of digitized information and texts when possible because they vastly improve a researcher's ability to identify and access research resources

Jonas Barciauskas
Classical Studies Bibliographer
1-617-552-4447
E-Mail: barciaus@bc.edu

Selected Resources

In the O'Neill Library:

• Editions and translations of major classical authors published in the U.S. and U.K.

• Series: Loeb Classical Library, Teubner, among others.

• Extensive holdings in classical studies journal literature, many from the first volume through the current issue.

• Reference works: Paulys Realencyclopädie der Classischen Altertumswissenschaft, Thesaurus Linguae Latinae, L'Année Philologique (print version), among others.

• Databases on CD-ROM: Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, Perseus 2.0, Database of Classical Bibliography (L'année philologique).

• Video collection of modern Greek films.  

On the Web (Restricted to the BC Community):

• Full text electronic journals: Journal of Modern Greek Studies, American Journal of Philology, Arethusa.

• General indexes: Arts & Humanities Citation Index (Web of Science), Expanded Academic Index ASAP (InfoTrac), FRANCIS Bulletin Signalétique, PCI Periodicals Contents Index.

• Other databases in the humanities: Subject Indexes to Online Databases: Humanities.  This web page also has links to other subject lists of databases.

Research Guides
More information about available resources can be found in the following resource guides: Research Guide: Classical Studies, Database of Classical Bibliography, Thesaurus Linguae Graecae.

Interdisciplinary Elements of Subject Area
Because it includes the history and culture of anitquity as well as language and literature, the Classical Studies program is fundamentally an interdisciplinary one. History, the arts, theology, philosophy, and political science are particularly significant disciplines for students of the classical period. These disciplines are equally important for the modern Greek component of the program.

Formats and Types of Materials
Formats collected include print, electronic, microform, and audiovisual. Types of materials include monographs, serials, and reference works including major indexes, abstracts, catalogs, bibliographies, yearbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, research guides, and directories.

Languages
Classic works in Latin and Greek are collected as are modern works in Greek. Material about Greek and Latin literature and translations of classic works are collected mostly in the English language.

Geographic Areas (Subject Approach)
The geographic area is determined by the subject: the world of antiquity and modern Greece.

Time Periods (Subject Approach)
The major emphasis of the collection is on the classical period in Western history with an additional focus on modern Greece. Some coverage is also given to the full span of Greek history from classical times to the present.

Date of Publication
Nearly all editions of classical texts and critical interpretations that are acquired are current imprints.

Subject Areas Collected by Library of Congress Classification Number
BCAT, the online catalog, can be searched by LC classification number to get a better idea of what specific titles the classical studies collection contains.  For example, the command c=PA6047 will produce the beginning of a list of works on Latin poetry.  This list can be browsed by pressing the F8 key or typing f and pressing the Enter/Return key.