In her own words:

• “What was I here to do in these parts? The answer is: the hundred children who came every day to discover with curiosity and passion an unknown world.”
• “The Greek children are my friends. I could spend hours telling them fairy tales and stories.”
• “If we could make a circle around the world, hand in hand, the whole earth would overflow with joy. Perhaps someday we will live this day, thanks to the Children's Libraries in Greece. And thanks to you, children of Greece, this day will come.”

How do you see a library?

• “As a place where the pursuit of knowledge is independent of any authority. A place where every question is allowed and every answer is discussed. A place not for theoretical education, a culture of books, but for a vibrant culture born within daily life. A place of cultivation and education that the child chooses independently, not based on knowledge imposed by institutions.”
• “The library differs from school. It helps develop a spirit of initiative. It allows the child to choose their books and move forward according to their preferences. Children who learn from a young age to use libraries, later have greater freedom in choosing their lifestyle, and are more easily oriented in both their profession and other personal needs. The creation of libraries in Greece is a lifelong program aimed at spreading books and knowledge throughout the country.”
• “Education should not be a privilege of the few, but the right of all since childhood.”

Athens, October 22, 1991
(Excerpts from the book Children's Libraries in Greece by Annette Schlumberger, published by the Children's and Teens' Book Center in 1991)