About the Eugenides Foundation Library

The Eugenides Foundation Library opened its doors on June 7, 1966, the date of the inauguration of the Foundation's building on Syngrou Avenue, as a lending library, with free access to the public. However, the work for its proper organization had already begun in 1962.

Since its establishment, the Library has continuously served the Foundation's goals, contributing to the technical and scientific education of our country's young people. This purpose also determines the type of the library as a special library in science and technology.

In this context, the Library offers students (at schools, technical schools, and university levels) the appropriate aids for their studies. It also offers professional technicians and scientists the opportunity to be informed about advances in technology and science and in this way helps them in their work or research.

Another main concern of the Library is the acquisition of books required by the Foundation’s Publications Committee and authors of the textbooks, so that they have suitable tools in the writing of textbooks and manuals. 

First period

The initial setting up of the Library

A lot of consistent work was required for the Foundation to be in a position to offer, at that time, a model library to its audience.

This job was accomplished in several ways:

1. They organized visits to technical schools such as the Sivitanidios Public School of Art and Vocations and the National Technical University.
2. They conducted market research to find the Greek books that existed on the required subject categories.
3. They consulted foreign bibliographic guides, also seeking to acquire books in English, French, German and Italian, in order to make the developments in the respective countries of publication of the books available in Greece.
4. At the same time, they included in the collection the most representative books of Greek Literature and History.
5. Particular attention was paid to the creation of the reference section, which included books of general and special content, such as bibliographies, special and general, indexes and abstracts of articles, geographical atlases, encyclopedias, and dictionaries of general and specialised subjects.
6. Similar work has been done for journals.

At the end of 1964 the decision was taken to move the Library to the new building on Syngrou Avenue. The Library was the first department to move there. When the Library opened its doors to the public, its collection consisted of about 4.000 books and 250 journal titles in English, French, German and Italian, covering the fields of Science, Technology and Shipping. At the same time, the Library included a collection of the most representative books of Greek Literature and History.

 

Organization of the Library

One of the main characteristics of the Library, from the first steps of its establishment to the present day, is the continuous application of the most appropriate and modern methods and standards:

1. For the subject organization of the collections, the Dewey Decimal Classification system was applied.
2. A second subject description was accomplished with indexing.
3. Among the most useful tools of the Library were its bilingual card catalogue and its subject catalogue, which can be considered a pioneering work, since until then there had not been any tools using an established Greek terminology, especially in the fields of science and technology.
4. For periodicals, apart from the creation of catalogue cards, it was also considered necessary to keep a systematic cardex record, recording the receipt of each issue of the periodicals as well as the bound volumes.
5. A simple and easy-to-use system was also chosen for lending.
   
   

Publication of Library Science manuals

The experience and knowledge of the organisation and operation of the Library in combination with internationally accepted standards were reflected in two manuals produced at that time by the Library staff:

In 1970, the book "The Library: Organization - Operation", written by Roxanne Fessa and Kari Litsa, was published by the Eugenides Foundation. This manual was used by the library community as the first guide to Library Science in the Greek language.

In 1978, the Dewey Decimal Classification for Greek History was translated into Greek, developed and compiled by Roxanne Fessa, Kari Litsa and Claire Lentari. This manual was published by the Greek Librarians' Association. 

1966 - 2006: the transition from the manual to the electronic age

From the above mentioned, it becomes clear why the Eugenides Foundation Library became a model of organization and operation. The strategy for its structure was based on the most modern methods of the time, so that it could provide evidence-based information in the fields of Science and Technology covered by its collections.

One of the most important innovations was also the free access of the user to its bookshelves and the free lending of books, except of course for reference books.

Thus the vision of the founders, the deceased Eugene Eugenides and Marianthi Simou, to create a library that would support technological and scientific education became a reality.

Since 1966, however, conditions have changed and are constantly changing. Developments in the field of Information and Communication Technologies directly affect the way libraries operate: The information resources are increasing, as well as the ways of acquiring and storing them and the means of accessing them. The methods of processing library material and organising library collections are also constantly changing, while the needs of citizens, for free access to the wealth and diversity of information created, are also increasing.

Based on these facts, the Eugenides Foundation, always monitoring global developments, makes drastic decisions at the appropriate times to adapt its Library to the respective conditions/changes/developments, in the best possible way. Over the years, significant changes have been made, which have marked its developmental pathway to provide seamless access to information to those who needed it.

Expansion of the Library's premises, services, and activities

The large increase in the number of users of the Library -with people of various specialties and diverse interests- that occurred over time, as well as the new possibilities offered by the rapid developments in the field of Information Technologies, led to the timely decision of the Foundation’s  Administration to extend the Library's premises and update its equipment and services.

1) Expansion related both to the allocation of additional space to the Library and also to the enrichment of its collections with subject areas beyond science and technology. This enabled the Library to accommodate more people and provide a comfortable and pleasant study environment for the thousands of readers who were visiting the Library every year. At the same time, areas such as Management, Marketing, Business Administration, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Social Sciences, Philosophy, Ancient Greek and Byzantine Literature, Greek History, Literature and Arts were added or enriched.

2) The updating of its equipment and services involved upgrading its mode of operation by exploiting the possibilities offered by new information technologies.

 

Computerization and web pages of the Library

The Eugenides Foundation Library started the computerization of its material in 1990, with respect to the basic principles on which it was originally organized. Since then, various Integrated Library Systems have been tested, with the aim of using the most up-to-date means for the best and most modern service to users.

1) The initial computerization process included the tasks of cataloguing and subject indexing. The process continued with the introduction of the Library's members data into the system, when, in 1994, the traditional method of lending was replaced by an automated one, which allowed also the automation of Library's statistics.

2) In 1997, the retrospective data entry was completed.

3) The entry of the journal and cardex data was completed in a later phase of computerization, in the next system of the Library.

It is noteworthy that the EF Library was one of the first in Greece to offer its members free use of the Internet for educational and research purposes.
 

Further activities developed by the Library

In the context of its continuous development, since the end of 2000, the Eugenides Foundation Library has developed several additional activities. These activities are generally aimed at:

1. The understanding by the readers of the potential range of information that a library can offer them.
2. The familiarization of the public with the sciences in an enjoyable way.
3. Increase in readership.
4. To support library members in their lifelong learning, to contribute to the elimination of information and digital illiteracy by encouraging people of all ages to become familiar with computers and also to become skilled in the use of the electronic services provided today.

The most characteristic of these actions that have been progressively developed are:

Computer courses

In 2004 the Library started offering introductory computer courses to its members, in a specially designed room.

From October 2006 to December 2019, these introductory computer courses were replaced by the programme «Computer Learning for Ages 40+», which the Library offered to its members, in collaboration with ECDL Hellas. The programme was intended for people aged 40 years and over, with little or no experience in computer use, helping them to familiarize themselves with modern computer capabilities. The 15-hour course is provided free of charge, and participants are awarded an EqualSkills – ECDL certificate.

The programme was also available to visually impaired people, carried out in cooperation with the Centre for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind. It must be noted that a special screen reader is installed on computers located in the Seminar Room of the Eugenides Foundation Library; this allows visually impaired users to listen to a screen description and allows them to navigate the computer comfortably.

Book nights

Meetings and discussions are organized on a science book or books of a certain scientific field. This initiative of the Library aims, on the one hand, to acquaint the general public with scientific and especially Greek scientific books and, on the other hand, with the subject fields covered by the books presented.

Events for children

The Library has been organizing a variety of events for children since 2009. These events are the creative vehicle that enables the Library's young friends to approach knowledge, to get in touch with books and the institution of the Library, as well as to develop an interest in Science and Technology in a pleasant way.

Reading Club

Since 2011, the Library has launched a series of reading clubs in collaboration with external collaborators.

Since 2015, however, the Library has created and continuously develops its own original program. In this program, children, together with an adult family member, work together to acquire new, interesting reading habits, to get in touch with scientists, authors, book people, and also to discover their relationship with the sciences.

The special circumstances of the pandemic led our Reading Club to the online environment, enabling Greeks from all parts of our country and abroad to participate.

 

Educational programmes for schools

The Library has been offering for many years now a series of educational programmes for all educational levels. The programmes have been approved by the Ministry of Education and the Institute of Educational Policy. Most of them are Information and Digital Literacy programmes that aim a) to create new and pleasant experiences for students concerning the usefulness of a library and even a special scientific library, but also b) to provide them with new knowledge and skills that will introduce them to research methodology and help them to understand the necessity of the correct use and synthesis of information from a variety of information sources.

The modern era

Since the beginning of 2023, 60 years since its establishment, the Library has been fully renovated, after the redesign of its spaces, collections and services. Its renovation began in 2018, in order its better adapt to the digital age, modern trends and information needs. The philosophy of the new design aims to function as a hybrid one, by:

1. Enriching its print and digital collections, focusing on the most contemporary areas of Technical and Maritime Education, Science and New Technologies
2. Modernizing its services, with particular emphasis on the use and highlighting of new technologies and the digital environment.

For the implementation of the above, the new space of the Library is formulated as an extroverted, flexible space with the possibility of multiple configurations, following contemporary developments, which require libraries to transform into places of meeting and inspiration, spaces of collaborative learning and creation, synthesis of experiences, development of ideas and constructive use of technological means for the creation of new knowledge.

These contemporary trends in libraries worldwide are determined by their educational role and are completely connected with the changes in educational methods observed nowadays, which in turn are adapted to the needs and habits of new generations of readers. Today's young people are seeking experiential rather than passive learning, active and participatory involvement in the learning process and, of course, the use of new technologies to express their thoughts.   

The Eugenides Foundation, embracing these changes, has proceeded to adapt its Library accordingly in order to dynamically participate in future developments, as a modern, active and attractive learning organisation. Its aim is for the Library to remain a meeting and study point for young people, providing, as always, open and free access services to the public, while continuing its learning activities. Particular emphasis is placed on enriching the particular educational programmes that aim at strengthening the (so-called) 21st century skills, especially Information Literacy.

Thus, from the beginning of 2023, students, pupils and people of all ages are able to search and find the most up-to-date literature in the special subject areas that the renewed modern Eugenides Foundation Library focuses on. The modern design and furnishings also allow all its visitors to find themselves in a modern environment that offers functionality and comfort, an environment that inspires the search for knowledge.