The National Library has begun renovation of the depository and plans to extend it as well

Prague - The National Library has begun the reconstruction of its Central Depository in Prague Hostivař. After a new building was opened there four years ago, the first of two phases of repairs to the older sections is now starting. The reconstruction is expected to be completed by the middle of 2019, at a cost of 117 million crowns excluding VAT. The library's spokesperson, Irena Maňáková, said today that the library also plans this year to start the extension of the new depository building and to begin the final phase of the renovation of its historic headquarters at Klementinum, which is expected to cost one billion.

The symbol of the National Library is its headquarters in the former Jesuit college in the center of Prague. However, in recent years, most of the library’s volumes have been located in Prague Hostivař, where the Central Depository was opened more than 20 years ago. After the completion and reconstruction of all the NK facilities, there should only be two million volumes at Klementinum, while the original Hostivař building, which is now starting to be repaired, will hold 4.5 million books, and the same number will be in the new building of the depository after its expansion.

The reconstruction of the depository will have two phases to maintain operations in the building. The focal point of the reconstruction is ensuring the climate in the storage halls, namely the replacement of air conditioning units and quality cooling with adsorption dehumidification; the previous condensation dehumidification had caused problems in some seasons for maintaining a stable climate in the depositories, the spokesperson stated.

The second reason for the reconstruction is to gain space for more employees who need to move to Hostivař from Klementinum. In the historic building, which is being restored to its original form with careful heritage preservation during the revitalization, the number of spaces for employees is being reduced. Offices were once created by partitioning large corridors, but these partitions are being eliminated after the revitalization for aesthetic, fire, and safety reasons, the spokesperson noted.

Due to the depository's repair, about 350,000 volumes are being relocated, which will be temporarily inaccessible, along with 78 cabinets of the card general catalog.

The establishment of the depository in Hostivař was a solution to the capacity issues of the National Library after the political decision to abandon the idea of building a new library ten years ago. However, the new director of the NK, Martin Kocanda, states that even Klementinum with all its Hostivař spaces will not be sufficient for library volumes beyond 2040. He is therefore leaning again towards new construction. The priority, however, is to complete the long-delayed revitalization of Klementinum.