The cultural treasure of the city
Municipal Library of Patra
Adress: 110 Maizonos Str., Patras
Tel. of Reading Room +30 2610 224813
mail: [email protected]
https://patraslibrary.weebly.com
Municipal Library of Patra
The origins of the Municipal Library of Patras lie in the donation of the library of the “Patra Craft Company” to the Municipality of Patras in 1903.
Δημοτική Βιβλιοθήκη Πατρών – Αναγνωστήριο / Municipal Library of Patras – Reading Room
In 1908, after petitions through the local Press, the Municipal Library of Patras was founded, and the first Supervisory Committee was elected. The Library was housed in the school on the corner of Gounari and Karaiskaki Streets. Two years later, in 1910, the official opening ceremony took place.
The Library closed in 1926, abandoned, and its contents were stored in the basement of the Municipality until 1944, when a group of book lovers transported them to the house of former mayor Ioannis Vlachos and subsequently to the Karamandani Mansion, on 42 Maizonos Street.
Δημοτική Βιβλιοθήκη Πατρών – Αρχιτεκτονικό σχέδιο / Municipal Library of Patra – Floorplan
In 1947 the postwar Municipal Library was inaugurated, with 18,200 books, mostly donated by the public. In 1948, by royal decree, the Library became a legal entity governed by public law. In 1955 the new building was inaugurated, and the books transported there.
Since 2011, the Library is part of a newly founded legal entity governed by public law, under the name “Municipal Library-Cultural Organization of the Municipality of Patras”. It comprises the Central Library (110 Maizonos Street) and the Annex (Eleftheria Square, 26 Fokaias Street). The ground floor houses the Children’s Department and the Municipal Gallery. Visitors can use the reading room, borrow books, access the Internet, use the computers for research purposes, and there are workstations for people with disabilities.
Head of the Library is the librarion Ms. Aikaterini Kourou
Future plans
The Municipal Library of Patras falls under the category of public libraries. Within this framework, its plans include the restoration of the buildings and the upgrading of services and functions, in order to develop into a large central public library that will support the right to self-education and public education, providing access to every resident of the city. Furthermore, it may also become the centre of a network of municipal/public libraries in the neighbouring municipalities and regions.
Δημοτική Βιβλιοθήκη Πατρών – Εκπαιδευτικό πρόγραμμα / Municipal Library of Patra − Educational programme
For the moment, a study for the creation of a modern section for children/teenagers, a department for digital technologies and an exhibition of rare books and documents is underway.
Moreover, funding is being sought for the installation of digital services through the use of radio-frequency identification technology (RFID).
ΕΚΔΟΣΕΙΣ
The Roman monuments at the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia have been restored to prominence
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni inaugurated the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia, the restoration and conservation works on three important Roman monuments: the Early Christian Basilica (Phidias’ workshop), the South Baths complex, and the Leonidaion Baths. These are particularly significant monuments within the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia, which, until now, had not received the necessary care. The restoration of the Roman-period structures brings new vitality to the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia. An exceptionally important monumental complex is being upgraded, which is now incorporated into the core visitor area of the site, expanding it by at ...More
Opening of Pavlina Vagionis’ exhibition | OIKEIŌSIS. Venice Biennale | May 6–October 25, 2026
This May, the “Hellenic Diaspora” Foundation presents its first project outside Greece with *Oikeiosis*, a solo exhibition of new works by Greek artist Pavlina Vagioni at Spazio Tana in Venice, on the occasion of the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition is curated by Dr. Laura Augusta, Jane Dale Owen Director and Chief Curator of the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston. Oikiosis draws on Vagionis' poetic and physical visual and auditory language, which redefines mythology and philosophy as lived, embodied experience. Across two spaces, visitors move through a sensory journey from isolation to connection. ...More
A “small Kantian garden” at the National Library of Greece
In his most recent briefing note on the acquisitions of the National Library of Greece, Stavros Zoumboulakis, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the National Library of Greece, notes: “They say that how seriously a philosophy student takes his studies can be gauged by how worn out his copy of Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason is from reading. The bibliography on Kantian thought is vast, as are the National Library of Greece’s gaps in it. Let’s start with the texts themselves from De Gruyter Publications. You can see the books here. I would like to clarify ...More
Open University of Cyprus | Applications for the 2026–2027 academic year are now open!
Open University of Cyprus (OUC), with 24 years of dynamic presence, it is a pioneer in open and distance education, offering flexible study options without restrictions. With a student-centered approach and modern teaching methods, it is a reliable, high-quality choice offering recognized degrees. For the new academic year (2026–2027), beginning in September 2026, the following programs are offered: 4 BA programmes 22 MA degrees 3 PhD programs with 11 research areas as well as all the thematic units as independent- standalones. More specifically: UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES: -Studies in Hellenic Culture (fees and tuition: €6.000) -Business Administration -Law ...More
Leave A Comment