
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
State Literary Awards 2024
The Ministry of Culture announces the 2024 State Prizes for Literature, Literary Translation and Children's Book (for the 2023 editions). Ι. STATE LITERATURE AWARDS 2024 Α. The Grand Prize of Letters 2024 is awarded to Pantelis Boukalas for his overall contribution to Letters. Β. The State Novel Prize 2024 is unanimously awarded equally to Ioanna Bourazopoulou, for her work The Dragon of Prespa III - The Memory of Ice, Kastaniotis Publications, and to Ilias Papamoschos, for his work Ascension, Patakis Publications. C. The State Prize for Short Story 2024 is awarded by majority to Akis Papantonis, ...More
Greece at the “Partnership for Resilience” Conference in Ukraine
The Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni participated, in Uzhhorod, Ukraine, in the proceedings of the " Partnership for Resilience " Conference in support of Ukraine's cultural sector, which was organized on 1-2 February, at the initiative of the Ukrainian Minister of Culture and Strategic Communication Mykola Tochytskyi. The Conference, which was attended by EU Commissioner Glenn Micallef, Ministers of Culture of the EU Member States, Ministers of State representing friendly countries of Ukraine (United Kingdom, Japan, Montenegro), as well as representatives of international organisations such as UNESCO, coincided with the bombing the previous evening of the ...More
Sylvia Ioannou Foundation| 13th scholarship programme
The Scholarship Programme is one of the Sylvia Ioannou Foundation’s top priorities. The aim of the Programme is to support young scientists and students from Cyprus and Greece who wish to undertake postgraduate studies (Masters or PhD) in any field of study, but with Cyprus as the objective of their dissertation. The prerequisite therefore is that the island of Cyprus is the main topic of the postgraduate thesis or doctoral dissertation, regardless of subject matter. It could, for example, be related to the history, geography, culture or society of Cyprus. The scholarships are intended for Greek ...More
University of Cyprus| Partnership with the Cyprus Theatre Organisation for the promotion of theatre and cultural education
The University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Theatre Organisation signed the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding, aiming to strengthen the relationship between science and culture. The collaboration focuses on creating opportunities for the student and academic community to interact with the theatre, as well as on the development of innovative educational and research programmes. In addition, it includes actions to enhance cultural activity, improve access to theatre and promote cultural education through joint initiatives and synergies. The Rector of the University of Cyprus, Professor Tasos Christofides, said: "The renewal of this cooperation is an important ...More
Leave A Comment