Books for the less fortunate

Every year, as publishers, we receive countless requests for book donations to remote schools, institutions, correctional facilities and other organisations. One would expect that in most, if not all, of these places, there would be provision for a library, so that the people there could spend their time creatively.Unfortunately, the lending library in Greece has never received the attention and importance it enjoys in most societies around the world, whether it is located within a university or a prison. The state, as usual, has ensured that the libraries established in recent years with European funding remain understaffed, inadequately equipped and, ultimately, with very low visitor numbers. Fortunately, there are exceptions. Thanks to private initiative, or to exceptional individuals who found themselves in the right positions, there are now libraries that stand out and provide their visitors with excellent services, whilst at the same time bringing people together around books, culture and other activities. Examples of this include the Public Central Library of Veroia, the Livadeia Library, and the library of the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation in Piraeus.As publishers, and as a business, we always place social responsibility high on our list of priorities. We try to respond whenever we can, but as any entrepreneur who has attempted to donate goods will know, Greek bureaucracy and tax legislation act as a deterrent.Over the past year, we have had the pleasure of contributing to the creation of lending libraries, donating books to institutions and organisations facing financial difficulties. Among these, in October, as part of the Book Night event organised by Public bookshops and Public Book Friends, we contributed by donating books to the library of the Eleonas Women’s Prison, with a total of over 18,000 books collected, with the help of publishers and visitors to the event. In December, following a similar initiative by NET’s ‘Morning News’ programme, we collected books once again, this time to set up a library at the KETHEA unit of Korydallos Men’s Prison. Finally, we donated books to SOS Children’s Villages through the Onassis Foundation Scholars’ Association. Happy holidays and a happy new year!