This research workshop on the social history of books and by extension the social history of culture was the brainchild of Philippos Iliou, who called it the “Bibliology Workshop” (Bibliologiko Ergastiri), and set it up as a framework for his many and varied bibliological ambitions in 1986. For a number of years it was maintained as an informal agency at the Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive (ELIA), where efforts mainly focused on constructing a 19th century Greek bibliography and an electronic data base of subscribers to Greek books from 1749 to 1922, as well as on publishing underpinning works.

The move to rename the Bibliology Workshop as “Philippos Iliou Bibliology Workshop” was an obvious response to the challenge posed by the death of the workshop's founder (5 March 2004). Those unfinished plans were then felicitously supported by the Benaki Museum, which included them in its programmes, starting in March 2006. In May 2007 all the material gathered was relocated to Museum premises, and then extended to include a significant portion of the personal library of Philippos Iliou, connected to this material (approximately 7,500 volumes), a gift from his family.  This slowly gave rise to a nucleus of research and education, focusing on the Greek 19th century, and the targets that will be achievable in the near future:

• To continue ongoing publishing efforts in the field of bibliography, in collaboration with ELIA / MIET (National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation). The second and the third volume of the Greek Bibliography of the 19th century (1819-1844), have already been published (2011, 2016).
• To work on the surviving papers of Philippos Iliou , with the intention of sorting and selectively publishing them. Two volumes bringing together newspaper supplements by C. Th. Dimaras, under the title Miscellanea IV. Discourses on the Method, have already been published (2013), a co-edition by the Benaki Museum and MIET.
• To publish, in electronic and print form, and utilise the data base of 930,000 subscribers to Greek books.
• To publish in electronic and print form the bulletins announcing pre-War of Independence imprints. The volume containing the pre-War of Independence imprints.(1734-1821) has already been published (2008).
• To continue updating and expanding the existing electronic collective catalogue of 19th century Greek bibliography.

SUPPORTERS
Academy of Athens, John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, Society for the Study of Modern Greek
Bibliography, History and Literature, Welfare Foundation for Social and Cultural Affairs,
Manos, Charitatos, Daphni Iliadi, Mary Iliou-Ciompi, Takis Kaldis, George Roussopoulos