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About Libraries is a Greek website based on the large corpus of graphic material and documented information collected by architect and book historian Konstantinos Sp. Staikos, founder of the non-profit civil partnership Kipos Filovivlon [‘Philobiblians’ Garden’] which works on further developing the website.

K. Sp. Staikos has a large trajectory of systematic research on book printing and publishing, with special focus on the history of Greek printing during the centuries of Ottoman rule, as well as the history and content and architecture, of libraries and the transmission of books as material objects. He has published a series of books on the history of the library and library architecture, as well as monographs on individual libraries such as Plato’s, Aristotle’s etc. In addition, K. Sp. Staikos conceived of an encyclopedic website dedicated to libraries and their history in the wider context of human civilization, which would be easily accessible to the general public as well as students and researchers.

The core material of the website was further developed by the Greek National Documentation Centre (EKT). It is now a digital space dedicated to libraries and their history, and specifically focuses on major collections and personalities linked to the history of Libraries across civilizations worldwide, from antiquity to the present. The site offers user-friendly access to a unique wealth of information, which is organized in the following thematic sections: Libraries, People, Architecture, Photogallery and Bibliography. In order to answer various research questions, the classification system offers several options for navigating the content, which is also indexed alphabetically, chronologically and geographically. The material, available in Greek and English (and, in the future, Chinese and Arabic) is continually expanded and enriched by adding new entries and objects.

The Greek National Documentation Centre (EKT) worked together with Philobiblians’ Garden in order to provide the necessary technology that would guarantee ease of use and functionality. The website is addressed to the general public and specialists alike, the global scientific community and the world of research and education, with accessible records based on current scholarly research. The texts are accompanied by useful bibliographic references as well as related pictorial material (manuscript illuminations, woodcuts, prints, lithographs, paintings, reconstructions and photographs of architectural monuments, sculptures etc).

The history of the printed book is showcased on the website, as are the major personalities of arts and sciences, and important library collections in Greece and all over the world. Upon browsing the site, we can find documents and visual material on the major chapters of the library’s history from antiquity to the present as well as information on libraries’ evolution and typology, the historical context and the intellectual movements that helped shape them. There is the option to search across the entire content of the site (texts as well as metadata) and the records link to one another. This approach dynamically emphasizes the importance of libraries and the printed book in the intellectual trajectory of humanity and the progress and transmission of collective knowledge.

Special emphasis is given to library architecture and its many forms across cultures and historical periods. Moreover, for the libraries still existing today, one can find information on theit history and collections.

The publication About Libraries, available online, showcases some of the emblematic Greek libraries ( as a small sample of the material that the site aboutlibraries.gr includes.).

In order to raise awareness amongst the general public and specialists about the method by which this digital encyclopedia is enriched and organized an exhibition was organized and will be on show in Athens until 25 November 2022.

Physical samples from the website’s material, such as engravings, photographs and historical publications were thus made accessible to the public. Thus, sixteen showcases display unique visual material from the Photo Gallery of aboutlibraries.gr with artwork depicting historic libraries from the Byzantine era, the Italian Renaissance and the Enlightenment, as well as thinkers and scholars in their library or in the company of their books.

The eventual goal of the project is to also gather additional information from major libraries all over the world by means of international collaboration, thus bringing to the fore the intercultural dimension of this material, with a vision of covering the history and geography of libraries on an international scale.

Especially relating to Greek libraries, it is envisaged that similar material will be collected through their contribution and at their indication, and that several other sources already located by the project team will also be incorporated into the website.

A product of continuous bibliographic and iconographic research, “About Libraries” will be constantly updated by an interdisciplinary team. Sourcing data about how various user communities benefit from the website will help develop improved editions in the future, if necessary, offering enhanced functionality and additional ways of viewing the material.

The exhibition’s bilingual catalogue (Greek-English) is available in print and electronic form and aspires to reach all libraries internationally, to provide artistic stimuli and promote wider online discussion on knowledge issues.

Below are some images from the website’s Photogallery, which were also chosen for the exhibition:

Contact info: libraries@otenet.gr και aboutlibraries@ekt.gr.