Municipality of Palaio Faliro

• Ensuring opportunities for citizens, who belong to vulnerable groups, for lifelong learning
• Reducing the difficulties of accessing knowledge
• Reduction of social inequalities and social exclusion of vulnerable groups
• Serving the purposes of the Libraries, even in periods with restrictive measures
• Development of love of reading
• Interest of the Municipality for its citizens in difficult times

It is addressed to the citizens of Palaio Faliro

The action was organized and started in April 2020 and continues uninterrupted until today. Even though it started to serve the vulnerable groups, the great response from the citizens of P.Faliros leads us to continue, regardless of the hygiene conditions.

The Mayor Yiannis Fostiropoulos and the manager of the Municipal Libraries of P. Faliro, Mary Tryfon, in the context of social responsibility and thinking in general about the difficulties of accessing the library buildings, which may be faced by our fellow citizens, proceeded with a new provision for the members of the Libraries and the citizens in general. They organized and implemented the "Books come to your house" program. The new service of the Municipality of P.Faliros, brings the books to your home:

• At regular intervals, per week,
• Without any financial burden for the citizen, during the program
• After prior consultation with the librarian
• Having been followed in the process, all safety protocols, both for the employees of the Municipality and the beneficiaries of the program.

With the Social Services of the Municipality of Palaio Faliro

Participation:

• of the employees of the Municipal Libraries,
• of the employees in the Social services of the Municipality
• individuals from the local market.

The action was planned and implemented by the Municipal Libraries in the Municipality of P. Faliro.

The Municipal libraries of P.Falirou, even during the period of restrictions, did not stop listening to the needs of the people, believing in culture and the power of reading, and so they proceeded with this new service to the residents of our city. Due to public health safety measures and protocols

• They enabled citizens, members of the library, people with disabilities and all those who did not have the opportunity as vulnerable groups, to continue to have contact with the book, knowledge and information.
• In many cases, the contact of these people with the Library and social services workers was the only contact with other fellow human beings, giving the program its social dimension. 
• Extensive use was made of the openabekt.gr management and open catalog and library operations platform
• The citizens benefit from the new provision, since it is always done with the same forces of the Municipality of P. Faliros, both in terms of human resources and equipment.

The benefits for the Municipal Libraries operator are multi-layered:

• Ensuring opportunities for citizens belonging to vulnerable groups for lifelong learning
• The number of citizens served by the "Books come to your home" program has already doubled and is constantly growing.
• Library members and citizens made extensive use of the management and open access platform for library catalogs and functions openabekt.gr
• A special section has been created on the website of the Municipality of P. Faliro, for easier access to information, regarding the selection of books that citizens wish to receive at home: https://libpfaliro.openabekt.gr/
• Library membership enrollments increased
• The program became known beyond the borders of the Municipality of P.Faliros
• It was reported to the media
• And other libraries throughout Greece follow the good practice of the program.