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 work of Greek artist Athan Mytilinaios, “Influencer the 1st,” at the iconic Egyptian Museum in Cairo
Influencer the 1st, a work by Greek artist Athan Mytilinaios, is featured in the exhibition "Formed by Dialogue," which runs from November 14 to 24 at the iconic Egyptian Museum in Cairo, located in historic Tahrir Square. "Influencer the 1st" presents a pharaoh carved in Triesta marble, which is not marble, but a type of local limestone from Mount Sinai. The repeated figure refers to ancient Egyptian relief sequences, where the multiple rendition of a form was used to emphasize the universality of its message, the dissemination of its teaching, or the power and breadth of ...More
ONE-Bridge in Health International Conference at the University of Patras: December 8–11, 2025
The Laboratory of Hygiene, Epidemiology and the Quality of Life Laboratory of the Medical School of the University of Patras is organizing the ONE-Bridge in Health International Conference from December 8 to 11, 2025, at the Conference and Cultural Center of the University of Patras, as part of the European project "One Bridge: One Health Nexus: Bridging Human, Animal & Environmental Health Across Europe" (EU4Health), with Mr. Apostolos Vantarakis, Professor of Hygiene, as scientific director. The conference, which will be held in a hybrid format (in person and online), is free and open to students, professionals, ...More
Epikentro Publications | Triantafyllos I. Kotopoulos – Thessaloniki in the works of Thessalonian prose writers
Title:Thessaloniki in the works of Thessalonian prose writers Author: Triantafyllos Η. Kotopoulos Publisher: Epikentro Subject: Εssay/ Thesis/ Study Year: 2014 Pages: 400 Τechnical Features: 17Χ24 In world literature, great works depict cities that are recreated through writing, take on distinct functions, and assume aesthetic and ideological roles. This study demonstrates that Thessaloniki prose writers, each according to their experiences, concerns, and aspirations, "conversed" with their city. In this artistic transcription, Thessaloniki was transformed and often mythologized, but in any case, it emerged as one of the most important cities in literature. The Thessaloniki of Pentzikis, Ioannou, ...More
Lecture by artist in residence Ilenia Cipollari at the British School of Athens | November 24, 2025
Sounding the Archive is an intimate hybrid performance-lecture inspired by the travel diaries of historian Emily Penrose during her time at the British School at Athens. Blending live reading, song, and ambient sound, the event re-enters Penrose’s diary fragments through embodied writing and first-person vocal reflection. Rather than presenting the archive as fixed history, the performance unfolds through voice, quietness, and dialogue, allowing Penrose’s impressions of Italy and Greece to meet present-day embodied experience. Field recordings and traditional Mediterranean vocal textures shape a sonic landscape where research, performance, and listening intertwine. The evening includes moments of ...More
Leave A Comment