Research
Access and Hours
Visitor Access:
Monday-Friday 9:00-21:00
Saturday 9:00-14:30
Summer hours (August):
Mondays-Fridays 9.00-15:30
Saturday closed
Membership in the ASCSA includes 24-hour access to the Blegen Library.
Blegen Library
Blegen Library, founded in 1888, is one of the world's premier research libraries for classical studies and archaeology. Its collection, covering aspects of Greek civilization from earliest prehistory to late antiquity, includes more than 125,000 books and periodicals. Our mission is to develop and maintain a first rank research collection in support of the academic programs, membership, and cooperating institutions of the ASCSA, and of the hundreds of qualified scholars who use the library as visitors.
- If you're a first-time visitor, click here to learn how to obtain a visitor's card and start exploring our collection.
- Card renewals take place every day during the library's visiting hours at the front desk. To ensure a smooth process, we recommend emailing receptionists@ascsa.edu.gr in advance to confirm the necessary requirements.
For any inquiries contact us at blegenlibrarian@ascsa.edu.gr or Ask a Librarian
Blegen Library News
View All
October 16, 2026
The American School mourns the passing on October 12, 2026, of Malcolm Hewitt Wiener.
Malcolm Hewitt Wiener, former Chairman of our Board of Trustees. He was 91 and had been continuously and actively involved with the School for 42 years.
Read More
October 9, 2026
Katherine E. Fleming Concludes Thalia Potamianos Lecture Series Before a Global Audience
On the evening of October 6, Cotsen Hall was full and humming with anticipation as Katherine E. Fleming rose to deliver the final lecture of the 2025/2026 Thalia Potamianos Lecture Series. With Cotsen Hall at capacity, an overflow audience gathered in the Main Reading Room of the Gennadius Library, while more than 2,000 people joined online, extending the evening well beyond the walls of the American School.
Read More
September 16, 2026
American School Mourns Passing of Charles K. Williams II
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens mourns the passing on September 16th of Charles K. Williams II, former Director of our Corinth Excavations and Chairman of our Board of Trustees.
Read More
September 10, 2026
Mark Lawall Establishes the Susan I. Rotroff Research Fellowship
The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is pleased to announce the establishment of the Susan I. Rotroff Research Fellowship through a generous gift from Mark Lawall, Professor of Classics at the University of Manitoba and former Chair of the American School’s Managing Committee.
Read More
July 22, 2026
Dumbarton Oaks to Receive the 2027 Gennadius Prize
The Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens is pleased to announce that Dumbarton Oaks, Harvard University’s distinguished research institute in Washington, D.C., has been selected as the recipient of the 2027 Gennadius Prize.
Read MoreHighlights
- Check out our new acquisitions for Summer 2026 (September 15, 2026)
- The Blegen Library will be closed to visitors on Monday, June 1, 2026 in observance of the Pentecost.
- Discover new acquisitions for April (May 26, 2026)
- Τhe Βlegen Library will be closed to visitors on Friday, May 1st, 2026 in observance of the Labor Day holiday.
- Easter holidays: the library will be closed to visitors from Holy Friday, April 10, through Tuesday οf Easter week, April 14, 2026. On Holy Thursday, April 9, the Library will close at 17:00.
- Discover our January, February, and March acquisitions (April 1, 2026)
- Check out our new acquisitions for November and December 2025 (January 22, 2026)
- Explore our Library Book locator (January 20, 2026)
- Read more...