Researchers

Thanks to our outstanding libraries (the Blegen Library, dedicated to classical studies, and the Gennadius Library, concentrating on post-antique Greece) the School attracts an international array of scholars who consider these combined libraries one of the world’s great resources for the study of Hellenism. The Blegen and Gennadius Libraries serve as important research tools for members of the American School, both students and academic professionals, members of the other foreign schools in Athens, staff of the Greek Archaeological Service, and the academic and scholarly community of Greece in general.  Substantial investment has recently been made in digitizing information resources at the two libraries. You can search our digital library. In addition, there is the an electronic union catalogue, AMBROSIA, with the library of the British School at Athens.

The Archives and Personal Papers comprise administrative records concerning the function and mission of the School, excavation records from American archaeological projects in Greece, and personal papers of American archaeologists working in Greece. They also contain the personal papers of many leading Greek historical and cultural figures of the 19th to the 20th centuries, among them Heinrich Schliemann, the excavator of Troy and Mycenae, Nobel Prize winners George Seferis and Odysseus Elytis, and conductor Dimitris Mitropoulos.

The Wiener Laboratory of the School has gained recognition as a promising leading research facility supporting American and Greek scholars applying a wide variety of analytical techniques drawn from the natural, physical, and biological sciences to archaeology and history. The Wiener Laboratory houses a growing scientific library that supports the research of Lab Fellows as well as that of other scholars and excavators.

Researchers affiliated with the Agora or Corinth excavations should use the ascsa.net database.

Use of School Facilities

For research at the Blegen Library: You must obtain a visitor card - click here to find out more. Membership in the American School of Classical Studies normally includes the privilege of 24-hour access to The Blegen Library - click here to find out more.

For research at the Gennadius Library: First-time readers must apply for a library card - click here for more information.

For access to Personal Papers and Archives: Archives are open Mon-Fri, 9:30 – 15:30, by appointment only. Prior to your visit, submit electronically an application form - click here for more information.

For access to the Wiener Laboratory: Visitors to the lab should call beforehand - click here for more information.

Acceptance of Membership at the School also allows students or scholars access to the facilities.

You can find more information about Membership on our Apply for Associate Membership (Independent Research) page. If awarded a School fellowship or grant, the awardee will also be granted Associate Membership. 

When using the facilities, modest fees are charged in lieu of tuition. Faculty, students and former students of Cooperating Institutions pay only one-half the fees for use of the facilities of the School in Greece. These fees are, at present, calculated at the rate of $220 per month for Regular and Student Associate Members and $330 per month for Senior Associate Members, or $110 and $165 respectively for those connected with a Cooperating Institution. For more on School Fees and Expenses, click here.