Library Map of the World

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.

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.

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.