Kid's Library

In 1992, the Foundation established the Children’s Library in the building that had previously housed the Folk Art Shop. The Folk Art Shop had operated since 1970 as a sales outlet for handwoven textiles, offering local weavers a source of supplementary income through items such as traditional flokati rugs, tagari shoulder bags, slippers and other handmade products. When a market opened in the town square, allowing weavers to sell directly to visitors, the Foundation discontinued the shop’s operation.

That same year, the Metsovo Children’s Library joined OPEV, Greece’s officially recognised network for young readers. The initiative was supported by Anne Gruner Schlumberger and the Greek Ministry of Education. Eleni Stripeli, a young woman from Metsovo trained by OPEV as a librarian, went on to run the monthly thematic programmes distributed nationwide for roughly two decades.

Each month, a box arrived at the library containing books, posters, cassettes, videos and other educational materials. These resources enabled children to take part in group projects on specific themes, such as mountain flowers, surrealist art, Greek poets and opera.

After the death of the distinguished philhellene Anne Gruner Schlumberger, the Ministry of Education withdrew its financial backing. Only a handful of these libraries survived – including the one in Metsovo – by relying on local municipalities or private institutions to cover their running costs.

Today, the Library holds approximately 6,800 books available for lending. Its collection also includes encyclopaedias and general-interest publications used by secondary-school students for research and school projects.