Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Digital Archives (Psifiothiki)

History and Background

The Psifiothiki (Greek: ψηφιοθήκη, meaning 'digital library') is the digital archive and repository of the Library and Information Centre of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh). It was developed as part of the university's digital convergence initiatives funded through the ESPA-Digital Convergence Operational Programme of the European Union and makes freely accessible digitised versions of rare, special, and unique collections held by the AUTh Library. The current platform operates via Invenio software at invenio.lib.auth.gr, while the earlier digital.lib.auth.gr URL served as the legacy interface.

Collections and Holdings

The Psifiothiki aggregates a wide range of digitised collections. These include papyrus, parchment, and paper manuscripts on literary, philosophical, theological, and musical subjects spanning the 10th to 20th centuries; personal archives of scholars and cultural figures such as literary critic Emmanuel Kriaras; a collection of photographs of the AUTh campus from the 1950s–1970s; the Ioannis Mandakas Collection related to the AUTh choir; approximately 6,000 volumes of bulletins and yearbooks from AUTh and other institutions; and an extensive collection of 2,298 volumes from the library of Georgios Konstantinidis, primarily legal works with some rare editions. A significant press-related digitised collection covers archaeological interest items from the daily and periodic press in Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Volos, and other cities between 1832–1932, containing 26,111 items.

Relevance to Journalism and Media History

The 26,111-item press clippings collection documenting archaeological news in nineteenth and early twentieth-century Greek newspapers is a rich resource for media historians. It captures the journalistic coverage of archaeology across a century of Greek press history and provides evidence of how major regional and national newspapers reported on cultural heritage topics.

Access and Usage

All content on the Psifiothiki is freely accessible online under open access principles. Users may search, browse, and download materials. The platform also aggregates content from collaborating institutions beyond AUTh. The digital archive is indexed by OpenArchives.gr, the Greek aggregator for open access digital cultural content.