The Jiří Mahen Library in Brno will undergo reconstruction

Brno - The Jiří Mahen Library in Brno, the largest public city library in Moravia, will undergo reconstruction costing 25.7 million crowns. It aims to particularly improve services for the public, with a new reading room, a club where people can buy refreshments, a new hall that can accommodate 100 people, and a room for teenagers furnished with bean bags and gaming consoles. The number of books will not be increasing, said Jana Kuncová from the library today to ČTK. The work is expected to begin this fall.
    "We would also like to have more space in the library for mothers with children, for example, to provide them the option to change their babies in the library," Kuncová mentioned.
    The library spaces on Kobližná Street will be modified, but nothing will be added. The contract for the grant for the reconstruction was approved this week by the city council, with 17.4 million crowns coming from EU funds.
    The library has 30 branches throughout Brno and operates with approximately 45 million crowns annually. Previously, it operated with 55 million crowns, but the city is now cutting costs. "We had to lay off about 30 employees last year because of this," Kuncová pointed out. Currently, nearly 120 people work for the library. The library's collection contains approximately 800,000 books, and the institution has 2 million crowns annually for its maintenance. "However, we would need ten million crowns," Kuncová stated.
    Public interest in events at the library is quite significant according to her. "We currently have a reading event with Kateřina Tučková, and the interest is so great that we have moved it to the hall," Kuncová said. The hall has a capacity of 80 seats, while the new one will allow for two events to be held simultaneously. The library will not hire new staff for the newly built spaces.
    The library has been established by the city of Brno since 1921. Each year, about 25,000 to 30,000 books are added to the library collection. The library also subscribes to 250 periodical titles in more than 900 copies. Each year, about 40,000 readers register, who make approximately 2.4 million loans.