Koraes library’s holds several other collections, namely

Manuscripts Old and rare editions Newspapers, journals and periodicals Memento, heirlooms, medals and coins Sea shell collection and a collection of metals from the island of Chios Historic and topographic maps

Manuscripts
One of the most invaluable treasures of the Central public and historic library of Chios is its manuscript collection. Its worth is measured not only by the number of manuscripts (the Kavvadas collection alone consists of 1673 manuscripts) but also by the importance of their content and that of their authors. Koraes’ manuscripts are the jewel of this collection. They consist of translations, annotations and commentaries (mainly of a linguistic, grammatical, historical, mythological and geographical nature) on ancient authors, medieval texts and other manuscripts which belonged to Koraes. This collection also contains dictionaries, anthologies, notes and statements, Koraes autobiography as well as theological writings. Finally there is an impressive collection of letters written by G. Koressis, Ioakim Phoropoulos, Neophytos Vamvas, Kall. Kreatsoulas, Alexander Vlastos, Alexandros Mavrokordatos, Andreas Mamoukas, I. Andreadis, G. Sourias, K. Kondos, Ioannis Psycharis, K. Karatheodoris, Gr. Photeinos and many others.
Additionally, the manuscript collection holds important documents from the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Ephorate of Orthodox Schools of Chios, the Consulate, several key institutions of the island (such as the Council of Elders, the Hospital Committee, the Leprosarium of Chios, the Court of First Instance and the Court of Commerce), etc.
The manuscripts belonging to the Council of Elders as well as the notary codes of various villages (the library currently possesses some 100 notary codes whereas the Historical Archives of Chios possess another 1,200 codes) merit a special note. The Historical Archives are also housed in the library’s building and have one of the oldest codes, i.e. the St. George of Sykousi Code, which extends from 1518 to 1846). Notary codes are made of wills and testamentary dispositions, contracts and agreements, balance sheets, notices of sale, renting agreements, bonds, powers of attorney, receipts, insurance policies, etc. All these documents provide valuable information regarding the island’s self-governance during the ottoman occupation, the history and evolution of law, agricultural production, money circulation, household economics, the use of langue, place-naming, etc. This is an unparallel historical source for anyone interested in matters pertaining to the public and private life of the islanders and demonstrates Greek continuity on the island.

Old and rare editions
Koraes Library was fortunate to receive donations from several eminent intellectuals and wealthy merchants of Chios. These donations consisted of books, some of which are old and rare editions. Koraes’ books, dating before 1833, that is the year of his death, are a priceless collection. The oldest of all books is the history of medicine, written in Latin. This book was published in 1493, namely a few years after the invention of modern book printing. The I. Andreadis collection constitutes an impressive selection of rare editions of ancient and Byzantine authors. St. Kavvadas catalogue mentions 53 books published prior to 1600, 100 volumes published during the 17th century and 367 books published during the 18th century. Another priceless collection is that of Philip Argenti. Researchers will discover 33 books published during the 16th century, 122 books that date back to the 17th century, 118 books that were published during the 18th century and 694 books printed during the 19th century. These books are related to the island of Chios and provide direct or indirect references to it. This is particularly true in the case of books written by people who visited Chios in order to discover the beauties of the island. These titles amount to an impressive 205 books, some of which are extremely rare and unique titles that bear the coat of arms of reputable publishing houses. To quote Argenti: “most of the books that belong to the collection dedicated to Chios are extremely rare, were published during the century of the invention of [book] printing and were made available by famous houses which made history in the printing and publishing business.” [Our translation] The books’ binding is also worth mentioning, mainly because the covers are made of luxurious material and are particularly artistic. These priceless collections need to be preserved and made known publicly. They constitute an invaluable source for researchers and can contribute in promoting science and the arts thus paying tribute to their donators.

Newspapers, journals and periodicals
Newspapers, journals and periodicals make up for another interesting collection. There is an almost complete selection of newspapers and periodicals issued on the island or published elsewhere by people originated from Chios Finally, the collection holds several other publications. It is worth stressing that Chios’ first printing facility was founded in 1819 and was operating from the Historical Middle School of Chios. The first document to have been printed was a newspaper. Well-renowned periodicals, some of which were published for a long time whereas others were short-lived, included the following: Chiakon Mouseion, To Chiakon Imerologion, I Sphinx, To Nisi, I Chiaki Epitheorisi, etc. Among the most important newspapers, one can identify Amalthia (1832-1922) published in Smyrna, Neologos tis Konstantinoupolis, Ethniki, Elpis, Panxhiaki (printed in Chios as of 1908), Nea Chios and others. The library is still in the process of collecting more issues of these newspapers and periodicals because they are an integral part of our contemporary history.

Mementos, heirlooms, medals and coins
Heirlooms and personal items of an unquestionable artistic and historic value are included in the library’s treasures. This particular collection is made of diplomas, medals, distinctions, office equipment, precious miniatures and other objects. All the items are kept in various rooms throughout the library and belonged to eminent public figures and intellectuals such as Adamantios Koraes, Leonis Kalvokoresis, Ioannis Psycharis, Konstantinos Amantos, Georgios Theotokas, the Argenti family and others.
The first flag to have been raised in Chios during its liberation day (on November 11, 1912) as well as a piece of the historical flag of the 23th Regiment of Chios which fought in the 1940 war are among the treasures of this collection. The curious visitor will be happy to discover a porcelain candleholder offered to Koraes by his friends to keep him “company during his sleepless nights of studying” as well as Georgios Theotokas’ ink holder, Psycharis’ clock, and Eustratios Argenti’s Russian silver cross that dates back to the 17th century. Additionally, Koraes Library is the proud owner of Eustratios Argenti medals. Eustratios Argenti was a national hero and a personal friend of Righas Velestinlis. Finally, the collection comprises an ivory-bound bible, a series of miniatures which belonged to the Argenti family, coins engraved with the coat of arms of several Venetian Dons as well as several other mementos of unquestionable historic value.
Finally, the library possesses Sp. Argyropoulos’ coin collection, namely a series of 188 Ancient, Byzantine and more contemporary coins, an 8th century lead stamp and six medals.

Sea shell and coin collections
John Quintana’s Mediterranean sea shell collection was donated to Koraes Library by Quintana’ himself in 1901. Quintana served as Director of the British Telegraph Office of Chios. The collection is kept in a special case located at the Entrance of the library. It represents a rare and beautiful arrangement of species and colours.
At the beginning of the 20th century, G. Kaloutas created a collection of metals from various areas of Chios which he later donated to Koraes Library. Kaloutas also wrote a detailed report on the oryctological make up of Chios. The collection is preserved in two special cases kept in the library’s reading room.

Historic and topographic maps
These maps belong to Philip Argenti’s personal collection and are arranged by subject matter. They are hung at the entrance of the library, along the staircase and the upper floor’s hall way. They refer to the history of Chios and provide a geographical, topographical and historic overview of the island between the 14th and the 19th century. Older maps are handmade or consist of old paintings that offer a topographical depiction of the city of Chios, the castle and Kampos (Chios’ plane). These maps and paintings represent scenes and persons directly linked with the history of the island during the ottoman occupation. The also depict the coat of arms of Chios’ most prominent families. The oil paintings that represent the Massacre of Chios in 1822 are particularly impressive. Their artistic value is enhanced by their magnificent frames. However, the collections’ historical significance is priceless since it provides direct testimony on how the island and its landmarks looked like during the previous centuries. Some of these monuments have been destroyed since.

Our Circulation Desk and Lending Department handle 11,438 volumes and 4,440 library members. This department is divided into two sections: one for the general public and one for kids. Visitors can access the Circulation Desk via Doretheou Proïοu Street.

The general public book collection comprises the following categories:

• Greek and foreign-language literature and poetry; translated literature and poetry
• History
• Psychology
• Theater
• Religion
• Philosophy
• Politics and Political Science
• Sociology
• Biographies
• Fine Arts
• Humanities, etc.

The book collection dedicated to kids comprises the following categories:

• Pre-school books
• Mythology
• Greek and foreign literature for teens; translated literature
• School book companions (primary, middle school, and high school books)

According to our library’s regulation, each member may borrow up to four (4) books for a period of twenty (20) days.

Circulation Desk and Lending Department opening hours:
Monday to Friday from 9 am to 2 pm
Friday evening from 5 pm to 7:30 pm
Saturday from 9 am to 12:30 pm

The Circulation Desk and Lending Department have a computerized system for managing books and lending them to users

In 1973, the Koraes Library put forth the idea to launch a bookmobile initiative in order to increase book access to segments of the population unable visit a library. This service is particularly important to students, elderly people and persons with reduced mobility and other disabilities. It is also beneficial to low income families who, otherwise, would not have the chance to discover the wonderful world of books.

Koraes Central Public Library of Chios currently possesses two buses. The first one travels to the island’s most remote areas and meets the reading and information needs of the elders.

The second bus was acquired through the Third Community Support Framework for Greece and the Second Operational Programme “Education and Basic Vocational Training” of the Greek Ministry of Education under a targeted action aimed at “supporting educational practice and bookmobiles”. Koraes Library second bookmobile became operational in 1999.

Our bookmobile travels around the island visiting primary schools, middle schools as well as high schools. The books packed in our car are carefully catalogued and chosen so that they can be lent to our young visitors. The bookmobile personnel also train students in the local community to search for information. The aim is to bring students into the information society. Since 2008, the bookmobile is permanently located at L. Porfyra Street.

Expected results:

• Address library shortages in remote areas
• Eliminate inequalities within the educational system, especially between big cities and remote areas
• Support the educational process and assist the educators in implementing the Ministry’s detailed educational programme
• Acquaint students with basic library service, the information technology and various ways to access knowledge
• Instruct students how to get to the information they need through various resources
• Ensure indirect access to the island’s public library to remote areas
• Serve users beyond the student community

Expected results:

• Expand the creation of more school libraries by making sure that ethe use of libraries by the general population
• Familiarize users with new technologies
• Introduce public library services to local communities as well as school communities
• Increase the value and use of material and services offered at the Central Public Library of Chios
• Connect school communities with their local communities, the local authorities and grass-root organizations
• Connect school communities with national and international information centres

Direct benefits:

Teachers and students are the ones who can benefit directly from our bookmobile services. Our bus is crisscrossing the countryside to provide primary and secondary schools with the help they need to promote the country’s educational programme

The library’s Information Centre operates from a specially designed room, located across from the Offices of the Holy Metropolis of Chios (entrance via Amantou Street). The creation of the Information Centre was made possible thanks to the Operational Programme “Information Society”, Measure 1.1 Equiping and Networking Schools. This measure falls under the category of Action Line 5, Creating Public Information Centres. The project was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (up to 75 per cent) and the Greek State through national resources (up to 25 per cent).

The purpose of this centre is to guarantee access to electronic resources on various subject matters, such as education, culture, economic development, etc. The goal is to familiarize users with information technology.

Thanks to the support of the automated processing department of the University of the Aegean and the Directorate for Secondary Education, new infrastructure was created, new equipment was installed and connectivity was established.

Available services

• Web surfing
• Multimedia educational material
• WiFi Hot spot
• PC equipped with basic software (text processing programmes, Excel sheets) and peripherals (such as printing facilities)
• Access to the archives of the Official Gazette of the Hellenic Republic
• Programmes installed on the PCs
• Electronic and audiovisual material
• Programmes and software specially designed for persons with disabilities

Available material

Users can access material from a wide range of topics, such as education, sports, culture and civilization, economic development, leisure and entertainment as well as health, professional orientation, the State and Public Administration.

This material is available through

• The Internet and the World Wide web, which provide access to countless databases.
• The library’s collection of audiovisual material (CD, CDROM and DVDs).
• Special software installed in the centre’s PCs.
• The library’s website.

Purpose and expected results

• Eliminate inequalities in the educational system and at the information technology front between major cities and remote areas
• Integrate citizens living in remote areas into the information society era
• Familiarize citizens with the library, its information services and various ways to access knowledge
• Educate users in searching the Web for information
• Provide remote areas with access to public library services Increase the use of public libraries
• Familiarize the general public with new technologies
• Educate users into utilizing a greater variety of library resources
• Increase the value of the central library’s material and services
• Increase connectivity between local communities and special information centres (such as Service Centres, information Centres of the Greek Manpower Employment Organization, etc.) Integrate people who are at risk of social exclusion into the information society

Benefits
Direct benefits for:

• Citizens who are at risk of social exclusion and who can have access to the information society thanks to this programme
• The islanders
• Those who visit the island
• Those who are interested in acquiring access to information related to the island and to a whole range of topics

Indirect benefits for:

• Those who have access to the Internet

License for public use

All library members can have access to the Information Centre and its Web navigation facilities. To do so, they have to fill out a form whereby they acknowledge and accept the centre’s terms of use.

A set of special rules applies for children and young people under 18. Please note that

• children 12 years old or less can access the centre provided they are accompanied by a parent or a guardian;
• users aged 12 to 18 should submit a form read and signed by their parents or guardians, whereby the latter acknowledge and accept the terms of use of the Information Centre;
• some restrictions apply in the use of Web surfing services (parental control features activated).

Instructions and terms of use

PC users should have a basic knowledge of computers. All workstations are numbered and provide basic information technology services, such as Internet connection, search in the library’s database, access to Office, etc. Additionally, some computers are equipped with special programmes, such as encyclopedias, language learning software, parental control features for accessing the Web (for younger users), etc.

Users are invite to find the workstation of their choice and are required to fill out a form, whereby they request permission to use the equipment and accept the terms of use of the centre’s hardware and software. Access to workstations is on a “first come first serve” basis.

Persons with disabilities have priority access to all workstations. The library has the right to reserve some of the centre’s PC for educational purposes, upon notifying the public.

Users are required to respect authors’ rights while using the centre’s software and hardware and to make sure that the equipment remains operational and in good shape for future use. It is therefore prohibited to

• Use, copy and distribute illicit software that come from dubious sources.
• Compress files and/or install new programmes.
• Change the Desktop configurations on the computers.
• Copy CDs or DVDs without the author’s permission, unless the material belongs to the public domain.
• Disturb other users and control electronic communications.
• Destroy or damage hardware or software, which belong either to the library or to another user.
• Save personal documents and other files to the PCs hard drive.

Note that it is allowed to use an (re)-writable CD or a memory stick provided the person in charge of the centre makes sure they are free from viruses.

Users who do not abide by the centre’s terms of use will be refused access to its services.

Network security and equipment

It is important to protect the centre’s computers to ensure they remain operational. For this reason, each user must:

• use a virus-free external storage device;
• ensure they leave the computers in the same condition they find them and log off from all programmes used;
• make sure they do not interfere with the computers’ hardware and software;
• report any technical problem they encounter while using any hardware and/or software.

The library reserves the right to:

• impose sanctions and fines for damage caused on the PCs software and hardware that was intentional or as a result of severe negligence; refuse access for up to 2 days at a time to users who do not abide by the centre’s terms of use;
• refuse total access to the Information Centre and/or the Library to users who persistently
• refuse to comply with the terms of use, do not follow the instructions they were given, disturb other users and put at risk the network’s security and the integrity of the equipment.

Cost of use

The purpose of the library’s Information Centre is to provide services free of charge.
However, to maintain our capacity to provide services such as printing, photocopying and scanning, we provide them at a fraction of their regular cost. Users are required to pay a 10 cent of the euro fee per photocopied page.

Opening hours

The Information Centre is open to the public during the library’s opening hours.
Users may have access to a computer for 45 minutes, if there are other users waiting for their turn. Otherwise, total duration should not exceed 120 minutes.
Computers turn off automatically 15 minutes before closing time.
The Information Centre personnel have the authority to turn off the computers if they believe that their use interferes with the library’s smooth operation.