University Library of Bern UB

Faculty libraries

Classics

Opening hours

 

The Classics Library is part of the Unitobler Library

Services

The Classics Library is open to the public; its services and collections are intended to meet students' and faculty's needs. Other interested persons are requested to register beforehand.

For general information about infrastructure, borrowing and returning, courier services, information and research assistance please visit the website of the Unitobler Library.

Infrastructure

  • 35 long-term study spaces which can be borrowed per semester; 14 of them equiped with mobile file cabinets; 14 of them are equiped with mobile file cabinets
    Further information on the loan of study spaces and mobile file cabinets can be found here.
  • Reservations for study spaces and mobile file cabinets can be made using this form.
    An overview map shows the layout of the study spaces in the Classics Library.
  • 3 day-to-day study spaces for free use
  • 1 self-checkout terminal
  • 1 online catalog terminal

Introductory tutorials

Introductory tutorials to the library are offered as part of university courses as well as by request. Tutorials in subject-specific research are offered by the subject librarian for classical philology: Dr. Rebecca Iseli.

Bibliothek Klassische Philologie

Collection

The Classical Library has a collection of around 50,000 items and grows by around 500 new acquisitions every year. The library's collection mainly comprises ancient Greek and Latin literature from around 750 BC to 600 AD, secondary literature and journals.

In classical philology, the term literature has a much broader meaning than is commonly understood today and encompasses not only fictional texts, but also philosophical, scientific and historical texts, i.e. written works as such. As the surviving texts are constantly being scrutinised and new insights gained, and new texts are always being found on papyri, new editions of the old authors are constantly being added. The secondary literature, which makes up another significant part of the library's holdings, is dedicated to explaining and interpreting the texts. The library acquires as many editions of Greek and Roman literature as possible, as well as the most important commentaries. It also has a considerable collection of research literature, especially older literature, which is not easy to find everywhere today. Traditionally, the library has focussed on literature on ancient philosophy, which it continues to maintain. In recent years there has also been an increase in acquisitions in the fields of patristics, neo-Latin and the history of reception.

We are also happy to receive your acquisition suggestions.

The library's media are indexed in the swisscovery University and PH Bern online catalog.

Rare books, media from the reference collection and course reserve collections cannot be borrowed but can be consulted on site. The library's reference collection includes bibliographies (call number B), handbooks (call number H) and journals (call number Z) as well as titles marked in red.