On my recent book-buying visit to Athens I was keenly aware of some of the
effects of the crisis on the book business in Greece, and this article I
posted last week also pointed out the current difficulties and the severe
consequences of the economic situation
http://publishingperspectives.com/2015/08/greek-publishings-summer-of-disco…
For another view - from the fighting trenches, so to speak - I just
discovered online the interesting blog of the
"Syllogos Ypallelon Bibliou Chartou Attikis"
https://bookworker.wordpress.com
A very active labour organization, it organizes frequent demonstrations
against whatever it perceives as damaging to "book" workers.
In the web archives can be found information about their opinion of some
of the catastrophic changes in the book business such as
layoffs at Ellenika Grammata in 2010
https://bookworker.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/100-employees-at-ellinika-gramm…
Demonstrations against Eleftheroudakis in 2011
https://bookworker.wordpress.com/tag/%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%B8%CE%B5%C…
Unpaid work at the bookshop of Estia in 2012
https://bookworker.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1…
Also a link to the newsletter ΚΑΚΕΚΤΥΠΟ ( in PDF format) for 2012 with many
similar stories
Also is has concerns about the exploitation of translators with a link to
the site at <http://www.smed.gr/>
where there are similar accounts of the contraction of employment and the
contracting out of jobs.
An ever cascading sequence of events where the problems seem to overwhelm
any potential solutions, and we seem to be watching the disintegration not
just of an economy but also of a culture.
BTW : Is anyone out there collecting electronic resources like this for
future archival preservation ?
I ask because one acquaintance of mine is a member of a regional community
organization, currently in disarray because no one can afford even their
very modest membership fees. Consequently, although they still have an
"office"
( I think the landlord is forgoing the full rent - the premises would be
left vacant with little chance of finding a new tenant anyway) they cannot
afford to pay the electricity bill - so the office can only be used on
bright sunny days.
I think that a lot of similar agencies are facing similar difficulties and
the distinct possibility that their records and archives may disappear as
the organization dies.
June S
-----------------------------------
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamosbooks(a)gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.com
http://kalamosb.alibrisstore.com/
http://www.antiqbook.com/books/bookseller.phtml/kal