NATIONAL LIBRARY
Georgios Zachos, the new director of the National Library, took up his duties just a few weeks ago in a position that had been vacant since 1996. He studied mathematics, gaining his doctorate in England, and was director of the library at Ioannina University. It is the first time the National Library has had a technocrat at the helm, rather than a scholar, and one who treats it as a large organization with management problems. «The National Library’s chief mission,» Zachos told Kathimerini, «can only be to collect printed and electronic output that relates to the Greek language, Greece and the Greeks. This is a lasting heritage, and if we are to maintain it we must solve the problem of housing it. The present location is too full and has to be given some relief. We are in the process of repairing earthquake damage, so one wing is closed. We had to rent two buildings in Aghia Paraskevi and Nea Halkidona for the books. When you think that we currently have 1.2 million titles, you can see what kind of difficulties we face. Unfortunately, the operational problems that arise have been used as an alibi until now.» To avoid closing down the library, Zachos explains, some solutions are under discussion: «One solution is for the relics and manuscripts to stay at the university together with the computers used to search them, and to transfer most of our books to prefabricated buildings at Panepistimioupoli in Zografou. «Later we will construct a modern building complex to meet all our needs on a plot of land that has been given to us. And at the same time, we have to go ahead with the rest of our plans. Already on our website www.nlg.gr we have listed 150,000 items (publications from the last 30 years) and some digitized material.» Unique treasures The treasures of the National Library, which can be accessed on-line, surpass those held in many other European countries, says Zachos. What the library needs, he explains, is «more staff, better coordination to avoid doubling up, cooperation with other Greek libraries on exchanging computerized bibliographical records, and proper planning for the use of new technologies. I believe the government is fully aware that the National Library is a national asset which must be preserved at all costs. If we don’t improve, we won’t be in a position to achieve another primary aim, which is to attract archives, collections and rare printed matter which some people might be willing to donate.»
