In the municipal library, jackhammers are sounding, it is closed for repairs during the summer

Brno - Construction workers have replaced readers and researchers in the Moravian Library, and hammers can be heard in the usually quiet reading rooms. The library is completely closed for reconstruction this summer and will reopen in mid-September, said library spokesperson Martina Šmídtová today to ČTK.

The most complicated part of the renovation is the repair of the atrium, which was in a state of emergency. Rainwater was seeping through damaged waterproofing into the lower floors. The builders had to carefully excavate a considerable amount of soil from the atrium, which heavy machinery cannot access, using a vacuum excavator.

The building on Kounicova Street was completed in 2001. Annually, nearly three-quarters of a million people pass through the library, which represents a high load. Therefore, a complete renovation of the public restrooms is also necessary. In some reading rooms, the furniture and lighting will also be improved.

The library planned the construction for the summer months outside of the academic year when attendance is lowest. However, there is so much work that not everything will be completed this year. The project is therefore spread over two years.

"In the second year, the focus will mainly be on completing the atrium renovations, repairing the foyer, reconstructing the entrance area, and laying new carpets in the reading rooms. As a reward for patience, we offer an increase in user comfort, as well as the functionality of the library," stated library director Tomáš Kubíček recently.

The Moravian Library is the second largest library in the Czech Republic, with four million documents. Thanks to the law on mandatory deposit copies, it offers almost all Czech production since 1934. It also cares for a number of old manuscripts and prints from noble and monastic libraries.