Rome, after a year finally reopens Archaeology and Art History Library

BiASA, the Library of Archaeology and Art History at Palazzo Venezia in Rome, finally reopens to the public after more than a year of closure. The precious institution had in fact remained closed since the first lockdown, that of last March, despite its great importance, being one of the most significant specialized libraries in the country and the only one in Italy specializing in art and archaeology. An inexplicable closure, because the anti-Covid regulations would have allowed its reopening (and the prolonged closure was never justified), so much so that several requests and petitions had started: only last week, the National University Council for Art History (which had already been working hard in recent months on this front) had also started an online petition to ask for its reopening and which had made a lot of noise (to date it has collected over 7,000 signatures).

“Students of art history, archaeology and cultural heritage,” the text of the petition reads, “have in this Library the primary instrument of their training and in it they should find the tools of their initial career: for example, doctoral students, subjected to rhythms and deadlines that must be compulsorily observed on pain of losing their objective. These young scholars are forced to flock to foreign libraries, which, however, are usually reserved only for accredited scholars and are already restricting access to younger scholars. The closure of the Library of Palazzo Venezia is therefore a serious damage, particularly to the young generation but also to all scholars and those who take care of the artistic heritage in the Ministry you direct and in the world of work in general; it is an incomprehensible dispersion of resources that takes precious books and funds away from public consultation; a blatant waste of public money, considering the costs of management and personnel.”

On Friday came the announcement from the library: the BiASA will reopen to the public on Tuesday, April 13, with hours of 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The rules will be those of the anti-Covid protocol for libraries: quotaed entry and by reservation (users must email vi-ve.biasa.prenotazioni@beniculturali.it indicating the volumes they intend to check out and attaching a copy of their ID and the self-certification form, and must then wait for confirmation by 3 p.m. the same day), 1.5-meter spacing, mask, sanitization, reserved seat.

Rome, after a year finally reopens Archaeology and Art History Library

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