The new scientific library in Ostrava is at risk, the state does not want to contribute

Ostrava - The planned construction of the new Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library in Ostrava is under threat. The Ministry of Culture (MK) proposes that the state withdraw its co-financing amounting to 490 million crowns. However, the Moravian-Silesian Region is unable to pay the full amount of 1.1 billion crowns for the library. This was stated to reporters today by the Moravian-Silesian governor Jaroslav Palas (ČSSD). The construction of the library was supposed to begin in November 2011.
    "In the current economic situation, the Ministry of Culture cannot ensure financing for such a demanding construction," said Minister Jiří Besser (TOP 09) in a proposal based on the government's August resolution. Therefore, he suggests that the government cancel the previous Fischer government’s May resolution, which agreed to the 490 million crowns. "The very fact that this happened less than three weeks before the (parliamentary) elections is surprising. The new leadership of the Ministry of Culture does not consider this a standard step," said MK spokesman Stanislav Brunclík to ČTK.
    According to the ministry, it is up to the region to decide whether to continue the entire project without state funds. "With this proposal, the state is renouncing co-financing. However, the region is unable to finance the entire project from its own resources, and therefore it will likely be shelved," Palas said. According to him, the region will seek alternative solutions for the scientific library. "But I remind you that all regional scientific libraries have thus far been financed 90 to 100 percent by the state," he added.
    The new library building, according to the design by the Brno studio KUBA & PILAŘ architects, nicknamed the black cube, already has a building permit issued. For the preparations, including project documentation and its modifications, the region will pay over 56 million crowns in total.
    The library was originally supposed to be constructed with the support of the European Union. However, the promised 600 million crowns were decided by the new leadership of the region (ČSSD and KSČM) to be used in healthcare and education, thus financing the library only from regional and state budgets, from which the region is unlikely to receive any funds. The new leadership of the region also labeled the original project as "megalomaniacal." Therefore, the architects had to modify it so that the new building would cost 400 million less.
    The entire project of the new library has already brought a number of disputes and protests; regarding its financing, the current leadership of the region has been in disputes with the former one - the opposition ODS and KDU-ČSL demanded, among other things, a new architectural competition. This was ultimately requested by the petition committee, which collected signatures last June to support the project that emerged from the original competition.
    The current scientific library has been located in provisional and inadequate premises since its establishment in 1951; it was already considered back then that it would move within ten years. The library director Lea Prchalová considers the ministry's proposal catastrophic. "We must still bring books from several locations in the city. We need a digitization workplace, but we cannot obtain new technology due to capacity issues. Not to mention the hygiene conditions, for 900 or more visitors daily we have only communal toilets," she told ČTK, stating that she has been waiting for a new library since the mid-1990s.