http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1607791_14/04/2006_68654 New National Library waiting for a home A donation of 200 million euros lies idle because the government cannot find a suitable plot of land on which to construct the building By Olga Sella - Kathimerini The 200 million euros donated by the Niarchos Foundation for the construction of the new National Library have yet to be put to good use as the government has been unable to find a suitable plot. Different locations have been examined - the university campus, Plessa army barracks and Goudi - and ambitious plans have been announced each time, but the new National Library has yet to be seen, even on paper. The historic neoclassical Vallianeios building housing the library on Panepistimiou Street has been struggling to respond to the demands of a modern national library. Thousands of books are collecting dust in storage, the electricity installations date back to 1930, the fire safety is out of date, the garden is overgrown with weeds, the rented storage areas suffer from water leaks and the management is unable to classify the huge number of new books and digitize the national treasure. Finding a temporary venue to house the library and renovate the neoclassical Vallianeios building are urgent priorities for the president of the supervisory committee, Athanassios Fokas. The 6 million euros needed to the purchase the new building have been secured. The plans for the aesthetic and architectural renovation of the building designed by Theophilus Hansen exist, but the necessary funds are not available while the donated 200 million euros remain inactive and unused. =================================== http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1608155_14/04/2006_68652 The supervisory committee The new supervisory committee for the National Library was appointed at the beginning of 2005. The president is Athanassios Fokas, the vice president is Athens University's vice rector, Christos Kittas, and the members are: Panayiotis Demestichas, Miranda Hariklia Paximadopoulou-Stavrinou, Apostolos Botsos, Voula Bouzikou, Athanassios Agrayiotis, Christina Douvri-Xenou, Constantina Botsiou-Petropoulou, Nikolaos Bilalis, Petros Troupiotis, Maria Dimaki, Antonis Basbanos and Panayiota Moschona. Compensation of 30 euros per member has been arranged for each meeting but no one has been paid this amount. The same applies to members of the board of directors of the Friends of the National Library, chaired by Yiannis Kairofilas. ================================================================ http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1609047_14/04/2006_68653 Hopes that plans in pipeline will make Vallianeios 'the jewel of Athens' The president of the new library supervisory committee is Athanassios Fokas, a professor at the Isaac Newton Center at the University of Cambridge. Athanassios Fokas, who is a professor at the Isaac Newton Center at the University of Cambridge, was appointed president of the new library supervisory committee a year ago. His sole motive is to repay his native land for the many honors it has bestowed on him. Until the appropriate plot can be found for the new National Library, he has decided to acquire a new building that can serve the purposes of the foundation. The Education Ministry secured 6 million euros, through EPEAEK (Operational Program for Education and Initial Vocational Training), to cover the costs of this temporary solution, which involves the purchase of a building with a surface area of 10,000 square meters and the lodging of an international tender in the next few days. "My relationship with the library is entirely fortuitous," Fokas said, explaining that a high-level official at the Ministry of Education first made the proposal during the Athens Academy sessional meeting in December 2004. "I did not have the time for such responsibilities," Fokas said. "I replied 'no.' If I could help in any other way I would do so gladly." The proposal was made again and it was his teacher, the famed mathematician Israel Gelfant, who persuaded him. "If you want to do something for Greece, then you should take on the library," Gelfant told him. "Over the last few years Greece has bestowed on me the highest honors," Fokas said. "I was made a member of the Academy and a professor emeritus at various universities. I was awarded the Aristeio of the Athens Academy and was decorated by the president of the republic. All that was on my conscience and I decided to accept. I took on the task in March 2005 without any knowledge of the issues and problems that have beset the National Library. Our first task was to safeguard its existing treasure. Afterward we started to examine the problems." The problems What problems have you encountered and what priorities have you set? The problems are what any library has to deal with in its everyday operation, but also some basic issues concerning the proper functioning of the National Library. For instance ISBN numbers, the precise cataloging of titles (in the polytonic system where it applies) and the problem of multiple copies. Even if we make progress as regards them, the big problem remains: the premises. One day I told the supervisory committee, "So far we have been on the defense; now we will attack." There are two buildings in Nea Halkidona and in Aghia Paraskevi. Both have problems. They are too small, have high rents, one of them leaks water and in the other they want to push us out. What stage had the building issue reached then? The government had already announced the search for a location to construct the building. At that time there was a site available in Goudi, near the Air Force Hospital. In the meantime, the Niarchos Foundation had already expressed its intention to fund the cost of building the National Library - on the order of 200 million euros. But even if the new site had been found immediately and building had started, it would still have taken five to seven years to complete. That's why I suggested that new premises be found for purchase or rent. What is the purpose of such an action? First, to empty the existing storehouses and move the material to be stored under better conditions. Second - this is assistant director Aikaterini Kordouli's idea - to provide a reading room for newspapers and periodicals. Third, and most importantly, once the left wing of the old building is emptied of books it can be renovated and be turned into an area for events. Initially there were reservations, but when the solution to build the library in Goudi fell through, then everyone was more in favor. Education Minister Marietta Giannakou suggested that the new building be bought and 6 million euros have been secured for this purpose through EPEAEK. In search of sponsors Have all the necessary funds been secured for these plans? The funds for the renovation of the existing building have not yet been found. At this moment the building on Panepistimiou Street has a fire safety system that operates with water. The electric installations date to 1930 and there is a high risk of fire. The static restoration of the building has been completed. What remains is its architectural renovation. We want the building to be the jewel of Athens. Architect Constantinos Staikos has already drawn up the plans and we are looking for sponsors. Fokas is full of ideas for the new life of the old building. One of his suggestions is that 10 important artists be asked to decorate the interior with their works. Until then, though, there is no money for either the restoration of the Valianeios Library or for the reconstruction of the new building that will be bought. ============================= http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1611754_14/04/2006_68651 Projects placed on hold Athanassios Fokas has several ideas about the resurrection of the historic Vallianeios Library building (right), including inviting 10 leading artists to decorate the interior with their works. Over the last few years, various sites have been proposed for the National Library: a 5-hectare plot on the University campus in Zografou, the Plessa army barracks on Mesogion Avenue (opposite the Sotiria Hospital) and another plot in Goudi. But they were rejected for reasons including distance from the city center, lack of communication with the responsible ministries and the areas' overall unfeasibility. The problems started to pile up. After many delays, tenders and works incorporated in EPEAEK I and II were started: - The purchase of a building with a surface area of 10,000 square meters. - The digitization and archiving of a selected number of manuscripts codices and facsimiles (about 400) to preserve and develop the collection. - A study on the upgrading of the Microfilming and Automation Center. - Staff training. - The conversion of the general alphabetical catalog for the collections into electronic format. By August 2007, a fully automated system for cataloging the National Library's material will have been completed. - An international tender to be lodged in April for the binding of newspapers and magazines. - Recording the Greek National Bibliography of 1989-2000 on CD-ROM. These are projects and programs that are just a part of the necessary infrastructure required by the National Library and which should not be under discussion in the 21st century. ================================================== Serious staff shortages - 70 employees instead of 400 http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_ell_1613196_14/04/2006_68650 The post of assistant director for the library has been filled by Aikaterini Kordouli, following a unanimous decision by the supervisory committee. Over the last two years no appointment had been made. Kordouli has been familiar with the library's problems for many years; since 1986 she has been an editor in the manuscripts department. "Upgrading our services for the users is our main concern," she said, "but this requires all the previous necessary steps to have been taken. There is a shortage of staff, about 70 overall." In 2000 the library required 400 personnel to function normally. Nevertheless, with effort and sacrifice, the enormous treasure has started to become available to many people through the website (www.nlg.gr): digitized collections, presentations of important manuscripts and other documents in international exhibitions, copies of which have been made available in Greek language centers abroad. A great deal has yet to be done. The National Library stands up poorly to its European counterparts as regards provision of services and maintenance of its collections. The City of Athens passed a decision last November to tend to the garden but spring is already here and the small pocket of greenery in the center of Athens continues to be neglected. -- June Samaras KALAMOS BOOKS (For Books about Greece) 2020 Old Station Rd Streetsville,Ontario Canada L5M 2V1 Tel : 905-542-1877 E-mail : kalamosbooks(a)gmail.com (or) kalamosbks(a)aol.com www.kalamosbooks.com