“A book is a powerful tool. It helps true integration; it helps you grow,” says Ioanna Nisyriou in an interview with Kathimerini about We Need Books, the first multilingual library in Athens.
Opened in Kypseli in 2019 by Nisyriou and Nadir Nouri, the library offers a space open to all, regardless of country of origin, religion, or language. It was intended to fill a gap. As its founders mention in the interview, until the creation of We Need Books, “Athens did not have a library with items in all the languages spoken by its inhabitants.”
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The library holds more than 16,000 book titles, features two indoor study areas and a courtyard, and provides creative and educational activities, all while also serving up free coffee and tea.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) supported We Need Books’ “Supporting Children to Thrive" 2022-23 remedial teaching program, in which more than 50 students participated.