GENNADIUS LIBRARY POLICY FOR BOOK ACQUISITIONS

The Gennadius Library is a leading research center for the history, language, literature, and art of Greece and the Greek world from the end of antiquity to modern times.

Since its foundation in 1926, the Library has collected books based on the interests of Johannes Gennadius, i.e. early editions of the Greek classics, books about geography and travel, the Greek War of Independence, the Kingdom of Greece, and the Eastern Question, as well as Greek language, religion, the history of the Orthodox Church, ethnography etc. [More information on the original collection and rare books can be found here]

The acquisition policy for non-rare, research books actively acquired by the Library is presented here according to the headings of the Library of Congress. Materials are selected by the Librarian of the Gennadius Library.  A list of relevant electronic resources can be found here.  Rare books are acquired when funds permit.

 

 

    1. REFERENCE SECTION

 

• Latest reference publications related to the areas of the Library’s general holdings
• Dictionaries, Lexica, Encyclopedias
• Greek grammars
• Works on post-classical developments of the Greek language

 

 

2. GENERAL COLLECTION

 

HISTORY 

Greece       

• Greece - Historiography
• Greece - History [general]
• Greece - Foreign relations
• Byzantine Empire
• Greece - History – 1453-1821
• Greece - Politics and government - 1453-1821
• Greece - History – 1821 to the present
• Greece - Politics and government – 1821 to the present
• Greece - History – War of Independence, 1821-1829 [incl. Philhellenism]
• Greece - History, Local

 

Europe [focus on topics related to Greece and the Byzantine Empire]

• Europe - Historiography
• Europe - History [general]
• Middle Ages -- Crusades
• Europe - Relations – Byzantine Empire
• Europe - Relations - Greece.
• Europe - Foreign relations – Turkey
• Venice (Italy) - Relations – Byzantine Empire
• Venice (Italy) - Relations – Turkey
• Ravenna (Italy)
• World War, 1914-1918
• World War, 1939-1945
• Greeks - Europe (Greeks in different European countries)

 

Turkey

• Turkey - History – To 1453
• Turkey - History – Ottoman Empire, 1288-1918
• Turkey - Foreign relations – Greece

 

Balkan Peninsula

• Balkan Peninsula - History [general]
• Balkan Peninsula - Foreign relations - Byzantine Empire
• Eastern question (Balkan)
• Balkan Peninsula - History – War of 1912-1913
• Balkan Peninsula - History – 1918-1945
• Balkan Peninsula - Foreign relations – Greece [also relations with each Balkan country]

 

Cyprus

• Cyprus - History [general]
• Cyprus - History - Turkish rule, 1571-1878
• Cyprus - History - British rule, 1878-1960
• Cyprus - History - Turkish Invasion, 1974

 

Egypt

• Egypt - - History [general after 640]
• Greeks - Egypt

 

Armenia

• Armenia - History [general]
• Armenian diaspora
• Armenian massacres, 1894-1896

 

Jewish History

• Jewish diaspora [from the Middle ages to the present]
• Jews - Europe
• Jews - Greece

 

Middle East

• Middle East - History [general]
• Middle East - Foreign relations - Byzantine Empire
• Middle East - Foreign relations - Greece

 

GEOGRAPHY (Greece, Holy Land, Ottoman Empire, Egypt, and Balkans) 

• Geography
• Cartography
• Topography
• Travel - History

 

FOLKLORE

• Folklore - Byzantine Empire
• Folklore – Greece

 

SOCIAL SCIENCE

• Greece - Commerce - History
• Greece - Economic conditions
• Industries - Greece - History
• Greece - Social conditions

 

SCIENCE [only in relation to Greece and Ancient Greek thought]

• Natural History [Focus on Botany and flora of Greece and the Mediterranean]
• Science – History [Ancient Greek science and its transmission through Arabic and Byzantine texts]

 

CHRISTIANITY - THEOLOGY

• Orthodox Eastern Church - History [early Christian period and later developments in the Orthodox Church]
• Orthodox Eastern Church - Relations – Catholic Church
• Orthodox Eastern Church - Relations – Protestant Churches
• Christianity and other religions - Islam
• Christianity and other religions -Judaism
• Bible - Criticism, interpretation, etc.
• Fathers of the church
• Christian hagiography

 

GREEK LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

Greek Classics

• Greek literature - First editions [15^th-18^th centuries] – Bibliography
• Classical philology - History [from the Renaissance to the present]
• Classical philology - Study and teaching – History - 16th century [rediscovery of Greek learning, history of Humanism and of classical scholarship from the Renaissance to the present]

 

Byzantine Literature

• Byzantine Literature [editions of texts]
• Byzantine Literature – Translations
• Byzantine literature - History and criticism

 

Modern Greek Literature

• Greek literature, Modern - 1453-1800 [editions of texts and translations]
• Greek literature, Modern - 19th century [editions of texts and translations]
• Greek literature, Modern - 20th century [editions of texts and translations until 1920 and “generation of the 30s”]
• Greek literature, Modern - History and criticism.

 

Medieval and Modern Greek language

• Greek language, Medieval and late - History
• Greek language, Modern - History
• Greek language, Modern - Dialects.

 

FINE ARTS

• Christian art and symbolism
• Art, Byzantine
• Architecture, Byzantine
• Art, Greek [from 1453 to the present]
• Architecture - Greece - [from 1453 to the present]
• Art, Ottoman
• Architecture, Ottoman
• Islamic art [esp. Balkans and Turkey]
• Art, Venetian
• Architecture, Renaissance - Italy - Venice

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Books - History
• Printing, Greek –History [15^th century to 19^th with emphasis on Humanist Printing]
• Bookbinding
• History of Libraries

 

BIOGRAPHY

• Byzantine Empire - Biography
• Greece – Biography [1453 to the present, biographies of Greeks and foreigners who played a significant role in Greek history, politics and arts]

 

MUSIC

• Byzantine music
• Orthodox liturgical music
• Music, Greek, Modern
• Popular music - Greece

 

 

3. PERIODICALS

 

• Major scholarly journals in the Library’s fields
• Local periodicals (regional journals, Greek local press)

 

 

Donation Policy

The Gennadius Library welcomes gifts of books, which are in accordance with the Gennadius Library Acquisitions Policy.  Gifts are accepted with the understanding that the Library will make all decisions regarding their retention, location, cataloging, or any other consideration relating to their use.  A letter from the Library will be sent to acknowledge all gifts.  Gifts may be added to the collection, donated to another library, or sold so that the proceeds benefit the Gennadius Library.