The Library started operating in 1792 as a branch of the School of Chios thanks to the donation of books by Adamantios Korais who, although born in Smyrna, was a descendant of the island. In 1822, during the Slaughter of Chios, the Library was destroyed and rebuilt through a grant offered by him. After his death in 1833 and in keeping with his will, the Library acquired a large part of his books and manuscripts. Korais studied Homer’s oeuvres and he actually published the Iliad in 1811, under the title “Volissian edition”, to honor the area with which the poet was connected, according to tradition – he also annotated the text himself. The contents of the library were housed in the present building in 1881 after the great earthquake. The Argenti Folklore Museum also operates in the same area. The Library and the Museum are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the entrance to the Museum costs 2 euros