National Library of Greece facts for kids
Quick facts for kids National Library of Greece |
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| The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, headquarters of the organization since 2017 | |
| Established | 1832 |
| Location | Athens |
| Coordinates | 37°56′23″N 23°41′30″E / 37.93972°N 23.69167°E |
| Branches | 2 (Agia Paraskeví and Nea Chalkidona) |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, journals, newspapers, magazines, multimedia and manuscripts |
| Criteria for collection | Material that is produced in Greece as well as Material that is produced abroad, but is connected with Greece in any language and form. |
| Other information | |
| Director | Chrysa E. Nikolaou |
The National Library of Greece (which in Greek is Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη της Ελλάδος) is the most important public library in Greece. You can find it in Athens, the capital city. It was started in 1832 by Ioannis Kapodistrias, who was a very important leader.
The library's main job is to find, collect, organize, and keep safe all the amazing things that show Greek culture. It also collects important works from around the world. The library makes sure everyone can easily use these items to learn, get information, and do research.
The library is led by a Director General, who serves for four years. There's also a board of seven members who help make decisions. Chrysa E. Nikolaou became the Director General in 2024.
Contents
History of the Library
The idea for a national library first came from a friend of Greece, Johann Jakob Mayer, in 1824. He wrote about it in his newspaper. This idea became real in 1829 when the new Greek government, led by Ioannis Kapodistrias, created the library.
At first, the library was grouped with other important places like schools and museums. They were all in a building on the island of Aegina. Andreas Moustoxydis was in charge of these places, including the library.
By the end of 1830, the library had over 1,000 printed books. These books were given by Greeks and people who loved Greece. In 1834, the library moved to Athens, which was the new capital. It stayed in different temporary places, like an old public bath and a church.
The collection of books grew very quickly! People bought books from private collections. Also, many people gave large donations of books, like Christoforos and Konstantinos Sakellarios, and Markos Renieris.
In 1842, the Public Library joined with the Athens University's library. This made the collection much bigger, with about 15,000 books. They were housed in the new University building. Georgios Kozakis-Typaldos became the first director of this larger library.
In 1866, the two libraries officially merged and became known as the "National Library of Greece".
The Vallianeion Megaron Building
On March 16, 1888, work began on a brand new, beautiful marble building for the library. Three brothers from the Greek Diaspora (Greeks living outside Greece), Panagis, Marinos, and Andreas Vallianos, paid for it. The famous architect Baron Theophil von Hansen designed it.
The library moved into this new building, called the Vallianeion Megaron, in 1903. This building is still used by the library today, along with two other locations. The Vallianeion Megaron is part of a group of three important neoclassical buildings in central Athens.
What the Library Holds
The National Library of Greece is home to an incredible number of items! It has over 1.1 million physical items, like books and magazines. It also has 300 million digital resources you can access online. There are more than 15,000 different newspaper and magazine titles.
One of the most special parts of the library is its collection of 5,500 Greek manuscripts. These are very old, handwritten documents. Some of these include:
- A very old codex (an ancient book) of the four Gospels.
- A fragment of the Gospel of Matthew from the 6th century.
- Flora Graeca Sibthorpiana, a book about plants by an English botanist.
- Charta of Greece by Rigas Velestinlis, an important map.
- The Large Etymological Dictionary, a historic Byzantine dictionary.
- The very first printed versions of Homer's famous stories and poems.
The library also has over 4,000 pieces of art. There are about one million old documents from public and private collections. You can also find 10,000 posters, maps, papyri (ancient paper), musical scores, and microfilms.
Moving to a New Home
The old Vallianeion Megaron building, while beautiful, eventually became too small. It also couldn't keep up with all the new technology needed for a modern library. So, in 2018, most of the library moved to a huge new building.
This new home is a 22,000-square-meter building at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. It's located on the Phaleron Bay "Delta" area, right by the sea. The famous Italian architect Renzo Piano designed this amazing new center. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation paid for the project and then gave it to the Greek government.
The new library building is part of a large park with plants native to the Mediterranean. It uses lots of renewable energy and has a central area with a wide seawater channel.
Library Associations in Greece
Greece has one main group for librarians called the Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists (AGLIS). This group started in 1968. It helps represent Greek librarians to bigger international organizations. In 2021, AGLIS started working with the Heritage Management Organization to better support Greek libraries and the people who use them.
Where to Find the Library
The National Library of Greece has several important locations:
Main Location: Stavros Niarchos Foundataion Cultural Center Syggrou Avenue 364, 17674, Kallithea
Historic Vallianeio Building Panepistimiou Str. 32, 10679, Athens (This building now holds the library's Newspaper Collection).
Votanikos Building Athinon Avenue 31-33 and Spirou Patsi Str. 12,10447, Athens
See also
In Spanish: Biblioteca Nacional de Grecia para niños
- List of national libraries
