Psomiades Library Project
Last November the Center received a very generous donation earmarked for the reorganization and improvement of the Harry J. Psomiades Greek Studies Library. In consultation with Dean and Chief Librarian Simone Yearwood, and Librarian Carlo Minchillo of QC’s Rosenthal (Main) Library, a plan has been developed for updating and renovating the Center’s extensive library holdings. Neophytos Ioannou has been appointed by the Center to work on the initial phase of the project, which is to work in conjunction with the Rosenthal Library to catalogue the collection so that it can be searchable on the Library’s webpage: the goal is to allow public access to the collection digitally and to promote the circulation of these valuable research materials.
The collection will remain housed in the space of the Center in Jefferson Hall, but volumes will be available for borrowing. A second major portion of this initial phase is to identify texts within the collection that are rare or in delicate condition, and to ensure that those texts are preserved appropriately. Finally, the library has a vast quantity of books and materials in storage, which needs to be sorted, catalogued and eventually integrated into the main collection. Future plans entail the process of digitizing selected important parts of the collection.
In addition to the interest that the Rosenthal Library has shown in the collection, its Office of Special Collections and Archives has done an initial evaluation of the numerous materials in the Center’s offices and is considering ways in which the history of the Center can be permanently archived and preserved.