The development of librarianship will require 17.8 billion CZK by 2027

Prague – The government will discuss the concept of library development for the years 2021 to 2027 on Monday. The material describes what the Czech library system will need over the next seven years and estimates that 17.8 billion crowns from public funds should be allocated to the tasks set out in the concept. Of this, 4.4 billion crowns should come from the budget of the Ministry of Culture. This follows from the material prepared for the government meeting. The concept also includes investments in library buildings and depositories and establishes the need to construct a new building for the National Library. The cost for this will be specified in a different document being prepared for the government.

The concept plans the completion of the depository of the Moravian Library and the construction of the building of the Moravian-Silesian Scientific Library and the Scientific Library in Olomouc, estimating the need for two billion crowns from public budgets.

For the National Library, the plan includes, among other commitments, ensuring access to digitized works not available on the market with a cost of 42 million crowns, or creating and ensuring the operation of a system for the collection, processing, provision, and storage of online electronic publications, which is expected to cost 210 million crowns. The concept allocates 750 million crowns for ensuring the management and protection of books endangered by the degradation of acidic paper and for the establishment of an Interdisciplinary Methodological Center for the conservation of modern documents. The tasks for the National Library are estimated at a total of 1.23 billion crowns in investment costs and 1.1 billion in non-investment costs.

The concept specifically emphasizes tasks for the Moravian Library as well. Among other things, it is to ensure the operation of the Czech Literary Center, for which 140 million crowns are planned. 98 million crowns are allocated for the digitization of library collections, which will extend to other types of documents such as sheet music, posters, postcards, and audio documents. For the Moravian Library, the concept estimates 780 million crowns for the mentioned years.

In general, the concept sets among the tasks for Czech libraries the need to create a new grant program to support the protection of collections, restore the National Program for Central Protection, and Prevention of Natural Disasters, establish a central deposit library for underused documents, create mobile units for the emergency preservation of cultural heritage for operational conservation interventions, and establish a National Sound Center for the processing, digitization, and protection of audio documents.