Library

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Completely renovated in 2006/07, the Arthur and Janet C. Ross Library of the American Academy in Rome contains over 135,000 volumes in the fields of of Classical studies and the history of art and architecture. Especially strong are the collections in ancient Mediterranean archaeology and art, Greek and Latin literature, ancient topography (including the history of the city of Rome), ancient religions, and related fields such as epigraphy, numismatics and papyrology. There is a good working collection in the history of art and architecture, especially Italian. The rare book collection comprises chiefly 16th-18th century imprints in classical studies, archaeology, art and architecture, including sizeable collections of Roman guidebooks and early art treatises. The Library also houses small but noteworthy collections in contemporary art and architecture, landscape architecture, Italian history and literature, American literature, historical travel books and music.

The Library acquires ca. 2,000 volumes per year and subscribes to approximately 600 current periodicals. Preference is given to scholarly publications in the core subjects listed above. A special priority is given to publications from the United States, in the conviction that the Academy has a responsibility to represent the best of American scholarship to Rome's multinational community. Italian local and regional publications in the Library's main fields -- often difficult to obtain in the United States -- are another acquisitions priority. The Library welcomes gifts, especially the publications of its Fellows and readers. There is an active Friends of the Library program on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Library is open-stack and contains working space for approximately 90 persons. The heart of the Library is the Arthur Ross Reading Room, with handsome wooden shelving and furniture designed by McKim, Mead & White. Complementing it are the Linda Bettman Reference Room and the new Frank Brown Group Study Room. The Barbara Goldsmith Rare Book Room, designed by Michael Graves, FAAR '60, RAAR'79, was dedicated in June 1996. The collections range over five stack levels in the main building and a compact storage unit next door. New reading rooms were created as part of the 2006/07 restoration and are located on the mezzanines and in the basement (cryptoporticus).

Another significant resource is the Academy's photographic archive, which contains valuable documentation of Roman monuments, as well as a record of the work of past Rome Prize Fellows. The Academy's institutional archives are divided among several institutions in the United States and Italy.

Books do not circulate outside the confines of the Academy. The Library offers self-service photocopiers, microform readers, a photographic copy stand and high-speed computer connections. Users may bring laptops for their research.

Over 50 readers use the Library every day. The main users of the Library are the Fellows and Residents of the American Academy, but reading passes are also issued to Italian scholars, qualified Roman residents, and Visiting Artists and Scholars. Persons applying for a reading pass are expected to have a graduate degree and to bring a letter of introduction. In addition, laureandi in their fifth year may consult up to five publications not available elsewhere provided that they make an appointment in advance.

The Academy is a founding member of URBS, the Unione Romana Biblioteche Scientifiche (Union of Scholarly Libraries in Rome), and contributes to its online union catalogue ( www.reteurbs.org ). The American Academy in Rome is also a member of the Research Libraries Group (RLG), now part of OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), and participates in its SHARES program. The Library's holdings will soon be available in Worldcat (www.worldcat.org) and are also contributed to DLIR, the Digital Library for International Research (http://catalog.dlir.org/#focus ).

The Library staff consists of a Librarian, an Assistant Librarian, and four full-time assistants. You can contact the Library by clicking here.

For more information on the history of the Library click here.

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Send questions and comments to: info@aarome.org