Overviews of the Collections
The Classics Collections at the Library of Congress
Levon Avdoyan
Armenian and Georgian Area Specialist
Near East Section, African and Middle Eastern Division
The Classics Collection at the Library of Congress, by its sheer
quantity, must be viewed as one of major proportions for the study
of classics in the United States. The hallmark of the collection,
of course, is the general collection. From texts of the authors
to translations, commentaries, historical discussions, excavation
reports, and reference works on inscriptions, vases, sculptures,
and so forth, it is a vast and still growing collection.
The hub of research in these fields remains the Main Reading Room,
which has a significant reference collection on classics and related
subjects.
The Microform and Electronic Resources Center is the repository of microfilmed collections
of Latin, Greek, and other ancient language manuscripts from the
Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem, various monasteries of Mount
Athos, and the Monastery of St. Catherine's on Mount Sinai. Microfilming
for these collections was done for the Library of Congress in the
1950s, and they remain a major resource for scholars here and abroad.
The Rare Book Reading Room houses many early imprints in Latin
and Greek, along with early translations and historical discussions.
Its strength, however, lies in its capacity for serendipitous discovery
-- of early printed travel accounts that happen to have drawings
of now destroyed ancient monuments; of prints in an early work
published in one area and later used in newly founded printing
houses thousands of miles away; of maps, and so forth.
The Law Library has a major collection of Roman Law and Canonical
Law collections; its works on the legal structure of corresponding
cultures and nations are also highly useful.
The Manuscript Reading Room contains the diaries of many of the
founding fathers of the Republic. All of these works are peppered
with classical knowledge and knowledge of the classics is important
for their deciphering.
The Prints and Photographs Division contains numerous photographs
and lithographs of the Classical monuments and works of art.
The Geography and Map Division is famous for its antique map collection.
The collection is important for tracing knowledge of the world
at given historical points, for the study of classical atlases,
and for information concerning toponyms employed on maps of various
ages.
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