Classification of a classical studies library in Greece and the changing nature of classical scholarship in the twentieth century

Abstract

The Carl W. Blegen Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens contains one of the most comprehensive collections of books on classical philology and the archaeology of Greece and the easternMediterranean. Early in its history, an amateur librarian, Theodore Woolsey Heermance, created an independent, highly detailed classification system, which encompassed classical studies in all its facets. His system is still used in the Blegen Library today. However, the discipline of classics has changed considerably, especially in the last couple of decades, and while the breadth of Heermance's system (and, indeed, Heermance's foresight) is such that monographs in all areas of classical studies can be accommodated, the system as a whole also serves asa unique document of classical scholarship a century ago. Moreover, because the letter designations have not changed since 1903, it is possible to track trends in scholarship and publication within fairly narrow subject headings. This article addresses not only Heermance's impressive classification system, but also the means by which this static classification system can be used to draw conclusions about the state of classical scholarship and the humanities in general in the twentiethcentury.