Libraries in Greece
Libraries in Greece are developed within a rather decentralized system.
Most libraries are publicly funded either directly, at state level, or indirectly at local level.
The National Library of Greece (NLG) as well as 46 Public Libraries* are directly funded by the state. In addition, there are 157 municipal libraries, each of which is funded by the corresponding local government authority.
There are 25 university libraries and a number – over 200 – of special, research and private libraries. In the 90s, over 700 secondary school libraries were established.
Academic libraries are the most developed libraries in the country with a well-established consortium (HEAL-Link) that provides access to more than 15,000 electronic journal titles and several databases.
In 2022, all together Greek libraries had:
The Ministry of Education Religious Affairs and Sports supervises and funds the NLG and the public libraries. Academic libraries are also funded by the Ministry of Education through budgets of respective universities, while the municipal authorities finance public libraries in their municipalities.
The NLG, after a long period of negligence, has undergone a major change that resulted in a significant transformation. Following the generous donation of the new library building by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, initiated in 2009, the NLG started, in 2014, developing a series of digital services and establishing the Greek Libraries Network and the national reading campaigns for children. In 2018, the NLG relocated to the new site at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre facing the challenges of the 21st century in the digital era.
The Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists focuses on the promotion of library science and the recognition of the role of librarians in Greece and aims to enable development and modernisation of Greek libraries. Other focus area is evaluation and utilization of the wealth of information that is available in modern media (the internet) and social media and making the media accessible to all citizens through the libraries. The Association provides professional development for librarians through various conferences, workshops and meetings.
* The term Public Libraries refers to a legal entity established by Greek law. Not to the type of library known as public library.
Library data
Contextual data
Population
Population Growth
Proportion of Population Younger than 15
Proportion of Population Older than 64
Population Density
people per sq km
Population Growth
Access to Electricity
Internet Users
Female Internet Users
Male Internet Users
GDP per capita
Poverty Rate
2011 PPP
Inequality
2011 PPP
Unemployment
Inactive Youth
2011 PPP
Education Spending
% of GDP
Adult Literacy Rate
% of people age 15+
Female Adult Literacy
% of GDP
Male Adult Literacy
% of people age 15+
Female Youth Literacy
% of GDP
Male Youth Literacy
% of people age 15+
Research Spending
% of GDP
Researchers
% of GDP
Research Spending
% of GDP
Library data
|
Library type |
Total |
National |
Academic |
Public |
Community |
School |
Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Libraries (Service Points)
504
Library service point is a fixed or mobile facility through which library provides a service to its users. Central libraries, branch libraries, mobile libraries, and external service points located in different geographical locations and managed by one administrative unit are all each individual service points. Number of libraries is the total number of central/main libraries, branch libraries, external service points and mobile libraries. |
504 2022 |
3 2022 |
181 2022 |
320 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Main Libraries
1
Central/main library is usually part or those parts of an administrative unit where the main administrative functions and the important parts of the library collection and services are located. An administrative unit comprising several branch libraries does not necessarily include a central library. |
1 2022 |
1 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Branch Libraries
2
Branch library is a part of a larger administrative unit providing, in separate quarters, a service for a particular user group (e.g. children, faculties) or for a locally defined clientele. Institute, departmental and other affiliated libraries are included. Mobile libraries and external service points are excluded. |
2 2022 |
2 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
External Service Points
0
External service point is a point away from library premises at which a certain service is regularly offered to users. This includes places within a locality at which library material is deposited for informal circulation to a restricted group of users but without other library services, for example, old people’s homes, community centres, collections for hospital patients. Mobile libraries and their stops are not counted as external service points. |
0 2022 |
0 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Mobile Libraries
0
Mobile library is a library, sometimes a division of a public library, using transport means to provide documents and services directly to users as an alternative to access on library premises. |
0 2022 |
0 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Libraries (Administrative Units)
470
Administrative unit is any independent library, or group of libraries, under a single directorate or a single administration. The term “independent” does not imply legal or financial independence but only that the library is a recognisably separate unit, typically within a larger organisation. The administrative unit can be a single library or a larger organisation, typically containing a central/main library, branch libraries and administrative functions. |
470 2022 |
1 2022 |
25 2022 |
274 2022 |
— |
— |
170 2018 |
|
Libraries with Internet Access
504
Libraries (Service Points) that provides internet access from at least one workstation available to the public regardless of whether access is free, and/or provides a wireless network allowing users to connect to the Internet. |
504 2022 |
3 2022 |
181 2022 |
320 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Full-Time Staff
852
Full-time equivalent (FTE) staff are all library employees who work for the library in return for payment. It includes professional staff, qualified staff, project staff and assistants. Other staff (library employees who work in security and on domestic duties, for example, cleaners, porters, caretakers and catering staff) and volunteers are excluded. |
852 2022 |
186 2022 |
666 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Volunteers
—
Volunteer is a person working on library tasks without payment. In counting volunteers, the concept of headcount is used. |
— |
N/A 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Registered Users
711,415
Registered user is a person or organisation registered with a library in order to use its collection and/or services within or away from the library. Users may be registered upon their request or automatically when enrolling in the institutions. |
711,415 2022 |
105,103 2022 |
393,364 2022 |
212,948 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Physical Visits
28,575
Physical visit is a person (individual) entering the library premises. |
28,575 2022 |
28,575 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Physical Loans
755,755
Physical loan is a direct lending or delivery transaction of an item in physical form. Physical loans include loans of items in non-electronic form (e.g. books) and loans electronic documents on a physical carrier (e.g. CD-ROM). |
755,755 2022 |
51,852 2022 |
504,417 2022 |
199,486 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
|
eBook Loans
18,264
eBook is a non-serial digital document, licenced or not, where searchable text is prevalent, and similar to a print book (monograph). eBooks can be lent to users either on portable devices (eBook readers) or by transmitting the contents to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
18,264 2022 |
18,264 2022 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Audio Book Loans
—
Audio book (or talking book) is a sound recording of readings of a book, magazine, or newspaper, usually designed for use by visually impaired people. Audio books can be lent to users either on a physical carrier or other device, or by transmitting the content to the user’s PC or other device for a limited time period. |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
Downloads
—
Download is a content unit that is successfully requested from a library-provided online service or other internet service (e.g. database, electronic serial or digital document). |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
Contextual data
|
Population |
Greece |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Population Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. |
10,405,134 2024 |
928,263,208 2024 |
8,141,808,945 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Younger than 15 Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
21.0% 2024 |
27.0% 2024 |
38.0% 2024 |
|
Proportion of Population Older than 64 Age dependency ratio, old, is the ratio of older dependents--people older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population. |
38.1% 2024 |
28.1% 2024 |
15.7% 2024 |
|
Population Growth Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. |
0.0% 2024 |
0 2024 |
1.0% 2024 |
|
Population Density Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes. |
80.7% 2023 |
33.7% 2022 |
61.6% 2022 |
|
Urban Population Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division. |
79.0% 2024 |
74.0% 2024 |
57.6% 2024 |
|
Information Infrastructure |
Greece |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Internet Users Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
86.3% 2024 |
90.9% 2024 |
71.2% 2024 |
|
Female Internet Users This indicator refers to female individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
84.8% 2023 |
90.0% 2024 |
68.2% 2024 |
|
Male Internet Users This indicator refers to male individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. |
- |
90.0% |
- |
|
Access to Electricity Access to electricity is the percentage of population with access to electricity. Electrification data are collected from industry, national surveys and international sources. |
100.0% 2023 |
100.0% 2023 |
91.6% 2023 |
|
Economy, Poverty, and Employment |
Greece |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
GDP per Capita This indicator provides values for gross domestic product (GDP) expressed in current international dollars, converted by purchasing power parities (PPPs). PPPs account for the different price levels across countries and thus PPP-based comparisons of economic output are more appropriate for comparing the output of economies and the average material well-being of their inhabitants than exchange-rate based comparisons. Gross domestic product is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period. It can be measured in three different ways: using either the expenditure approach, the income approach, or the production approach. This series has been linked to produce a consistent time series to counteract breaks in series over time due to changes in base years, source data and methodologies. Thus, it may not be comparable with other national accounts series in the database for historical years. The core indicator has been divided by the general population to achieve a per capita estimate. This indicator is expressed in current prices, meaning no adjustment has been made to account for price changes over time. The PPP conversion factor is a currency conversion factor and a spatial price deflator. PPPs convert different currencies to a common currency and, in the process of conversion, equalize their purchasing power by eliminating the differences in price levels between countries, thereby allowing volume or output comparisons of GDP and its expenditure components. |
44,005 2024 |
51,720.6 2024 |
24,405 2024 |
|
Poverty Rate Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.00 a day at 2021 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions. |
0.6% 2023 |
0.5% 2024 |
10.3% 2024 |
|
Inequality Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality. |
33.4% 2023 |
0.0% |
- |
|
Unemployment Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country. |
10.0% 2024 |
5.3% 2024 |
6.2% 2021 |
|
Inactive Youth The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive). percentage of youth population |
10.4% 2024 |
11.7% 2024 |
- |
|
Education and Literacy |
Greece |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Education Spending General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments. percentage of GDP |
3.4% 2022 |
4.6% 2022 |
3.5% 2023 |
|
Adult Literacy Rate Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of people ages 15 and above |
93.9% 2009 |
4.6% 2022 |
87.7% 2024 |
|
Female Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15 and above |
91.8% 2009 |
98.5% 2024 |
84.6% 2024 |
|
Male Adult Literacy Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15 and above |
91.8% 2009 |
99.1% 2023 |
90.9% 2024 |
|
Female Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of females ages 15-24 |
99.5% 2009 |
99.8% 2023 |
92.0% 2024 |
|
Male Youth Literacy Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life. percentage of males ages 15-24 |
99.5% 2009 |
99.8% 2023 |
94.1% 2024 |
|
Research and Innovation |
Greece |
Region |
World |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Research Spending Gross domestic expenditures on research and development (R&D), expressed as a percent of GDP. They include both capital and current expenditures in the four main sectors: Business enterprise, Government, Higher education and Private non-profit. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. percentage of GDP |
1.5% 2022 |
2.0% 2022 |
2.7% 2022 |
|
Researchers The number of researchers engaged in Research &Development (R&D), expressed as per million. Researchers are professionals who conduct research and improve or develop concepts, theories, models techniques instrumentation, software of operational methods. R&D covers basic research, applied research, and experimental development. per million people |
4,927 2022 |
3,466.1 2022 |
1,516 2018 |
|
Scientific Articles Article counts refer to publications from a selection of conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals from Scopus in science and engineering fields, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics Taxonomy of Disciplines. fractional count |
15,105 2022 |
913,901.4 2022 |
3,338,192 2022 |
National Library Associations
The Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists (established in 1968) is the scientific and professional association that represents professional librarians in Greece. Its main objectives include promotion of library science and the recognition of the role of librarian, application of professional ethics; promotion of development and modernisation of libraries in Greece; professional development of librarians through conferences, workshops and meetings; upgrading libraries and modernising their technologies; evaluation and utilisation of the wealth of information and making the media accessible to all citizens.
National Library
The National Library of Greece (NLG) is a public entity under the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs. The NLG began its journey through time in 1829 and has been the driving force behind the efforts to trace, organise, describe and preserve in perpetuity documents of Greek culture, as the custodian of the Greek literary heritage. Its mission is to collect, organize, safekeep, preserve and offer open and equal access for all to every work of science and culture produced in Greece, or internationally, related to the Hellenic world and its abiding impact.
Policy Making Institutions
The Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs is the government department responsible for running the country’s education system and for supervising religion affairs in Greece. The areas of responsibility include all levels and types of formal education (pre-school/primary/secondary/higher/vocational/adult education). It is also the supervisory body of a) public entities that in any way provide education and/or educational resources, e.g. the National Library of Greece and the General State Archives, b) public entities and institutions serving religious objectives.
The Hellenic General Council of Libraries (HGCL) is a corporate body in the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs. The responsibility of HGCL is to develop and suggest policies to the Minister, as well as to further analyze implementation strategies for the Public Libraries in Greece, in cooperation with the National Library of Greece
Library Support Organisations
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants to nonprofit organizations in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. Since 1996, the Foundation has provided more than $2.9 billion, through more than 4,500 grants to nonprofit organizations in 124 nations around the world. SNF has a long-standing commitment to libraries worldwide. The most outstanding grants offered to libraries include the complete renovation of New York Public Library’s Mid-Manhattan Central Circulating Branch and the creation of an endowment in support of its public programs. In Greece, SNF’s largest single gift to libraries is the new home facilities of the National Library of Greece (NLG) together with the grant aimed at supporting NLG transition projects.
Τhe Greek Libraries Network of the National Library of Greece is set up to help academic, research, public, municipal and school libraries develop the services they offer to the public. The Greek Libraries Network, which currently numbers 234 libraries, aims to enable exchange of information, knowledge and professional communication among libraries, to undertake training programs for library staff, to design and organize national and international actions, such as campaigns or conferences, and to provide continuous library support. The National Reading Campaign for Children, organised on an annual basis, is included among the outstanding acivities of the Greek Libraries Network.
The Eugenides Foundation was established in 1956 as a non-profit-organization with the objective to contribute to the education of young Greeks in science and technology. It is a grant-giving entity (scholarships, publications) and a physical technical and vocational education center that houses a library, a planetarium, exhibition spaces, an amphitheater, and lecture rooms. From 2012 the Eugenides Foundation Library has been a member of the Organizing Committee for the Support of Libraries, aiming to contribute to the modernization of Greek libraries and information centres, so as to improve the quality of services they provide to their readers/users.
The Foundation’s aims include the promotion of Greek letters and culture, with a special interest in the promotion of historical and maritime research. As an active and lively cultural – educational organization, it organizes and performs every year a large number of cultural and educational programmes. In addition to a 35.000 book lending library, the Foundation boasts of a Historical Library comprising some 400.000 titles, including large numbers of incunabula and ancient books. Wishing to contribute to the creation of a Maritime Libraries Union Catalogue, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation is establishing cooperation with various libraries and institutions.
HEAL-Link is a portal through which HEAL-Link members -mainly academic institutions – have full-text access to journals, e-books and to bibliographic databases. Its objectives include the collaboration among academic libraries, the establishment of common policy, the promotion of rational growth of journals’ collections among members, the joint subscription and the management of remote access to electronic resources and information services, including electronic journals. HEAL-Link also aims at the development and establishment of standards for any kind of librarian work, at the continuing training of its members’ library staff and at the enhancement of the material availability among its members (through methods such as interlibrary loan).
National Policy for Libraries
There is no information available.
Library Law
The Law concerns the National Library of Greece and the public libraries. The issues covered include the legal status, the objectives, the administrative structure, the funding and the personnel management. The Law is in force since 2003. Some amendments of this law regarding the National Library of Greece have been made in 2017.
This Law concerns the public libraries in Greece. It mainly covers regulation issues and determines the public library services. The law is in force since 2017.
The Law concerns the public primary school libraries. It covers the objectives of the public primary school libaries as well as regulation, staff and material management issues. The Law is in force since 2018.
Legal Deposit Law
The Law concerns the National Library of Greece (NLG) and the public libraries. It is complementary to the previous law (2003), regarding new services provided by NLG as well as its strategic and operational plan.
The law provides for an obligation on publishers to deposit four copies of all types of all published material, including printed, audio, video, digital, and restricted access web material. It mandates that publishers (or authors, when there is no publisher) are required, in addition to the deposit of hardcopies, to provide a readable electronic version of publications free from any Technical Protection Means, and to facilitate access to content protected by Technical Protection Means or otherwise protected content. It also describes the obligation of publishers or authors, when there is no publisher, to deposit two copies of all types of all published material to the library of the Hellenic Parliament.
According the law, the National Library of Greece is appointed as the organization to undertake, allocate and coordinate the action of archiving the Hellenic Web, i.e. in fact said provision names the National Library of Greece as the organization responsible for text and data analysis at national level in Greece.
Copyright Law & Library Exceptions and Limitations
The law allows the lending operation. Regarding preservation of works possessed and archived either by the National Library of Greece or by public libraries—non-profit-making libraries and archives in Greece. The law allows the making of one additional copy, without the consent of the author and without payment, from a copy of the work already existing in the permanent collection of a non-profit-making library or archive, for the purpose of retaining that additional copy to another non-profit-making library or archive. The reproduction shall be permissible only if an additional copy cannot be obtained in the market promptly, and on reasonable terms. The law also allows the making of a copy of a work deposited to the National Library of Greece, which has yet to be published. Said copy is allowed only if it is requested by the depositor (author) or by his/her heir or by the person who was assigned with the right to request it. In any other case copying is not allowed for the material that is subject to Copyright.
The Copyright law in Greece includes exceptions/limitations from the reproduction right regarding: a) school textbooks and anthologies, b) reproduction for teaching purposes, c) the public lending of works from libraries of primary and secondary educational institutes—school libraries—and from academic libraries, d) the reproduction of cinematographic works, e) the reproduction for judicial and administrative purposes, f) the reproduction for information purposes, g) the use of images of works sited in public places, h) the public performance or presentation of works on special occasions.
The law caters for certain permitted uses of orphan works. Regarding people with print disabilities, the law allows the reproduction of works for the benefit of blinds and deaf-mute for uses which are directly related to their disability and are non-commercial in nature. An amendment of the law, with which the EU-Directive regarding the Marrakesh Treaty will be incorporated into the Greek legislation, is in process. A further amendment, with which the new Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market will be incorporated into the national law, is expected.
Professional Qualification Requirements
There is no information available.
Education
There are three Universities that offer Bachelor, Msc and Phd studies in Libraries and Information Science. The Department of Archives, Library Science and Information Systems at the University of West Attica, the Department of Archives, Library Science and Information Systems at the International Hellenic University and the Department of Archives, Library Science and Museology at the Ionian University.
Professional Publications
JIIM comprises research articles on all aspects and issues regarding Information Science and Integrated Information Management. Case studies on applied research as well as theoretical discussions addressing methodological questions are also of interest to this Journal. Furthermore, the role of Informatics as a necessary tool for Information Science & Management comprises a thematic cluster central to the objectives of the Journal. Starting from the integration of informational function of cultural organizations (Libraries Archives Museums) the Journal expand its interest in scientific, administration and business aspects of Information Science & Management and in related perspectives of social sciences and the humanities.
Professional Events
The annual Panhellenic Conference of Academic Libraries, held since 1992, is one of the most important events for the Greek academic libraries and the most significant one in the areas of Library Information Services, Library Automation, Books and Periodicals, Library Equipment and Information Technologies. Librarians, members of the academic community and suppliers are given the opportunity to broaden their knowledge, to communicate with other colleagues, to syndicate and exchange views and experiences, to be informed about new developments and trends in the Academic Libraries’ products and services. Each year one of the Greek academic libraries is responsible for hosting the event.
Library Location Resources