Blovice in the Plzeň region will build a new library for 15 million CZK thanks to the EU

Blovice (Plzeň region) - After decades of provisional arrangements, the four-thousand-strong town of Blovice will have a modern municipal library. Approximately 30,000 volumes will be relocated to a new building by June next year at a cost of 15 million CZK, of which the town hall received 13 million CZK from the European ROP program. Construction will begin on August 15, said Mayor Jan Poduška.
"It will be created as an extension on the front of the community house, where we will also renovate the entrance hall," he added. The area of the library, which is currently located in a small adjacent building affected by damp and mold, will more than double. "It is very well used; we have more readers than larger Přeštice and comparable Nepomuk (towns in southern Plzeň), a very good selection of titles, inexpensive borrowing, and free internet," said the mayor.
The library has an annual budget of 140,000 CZK for purchasing books, which amounts to 800 to 900 new titles. According to director Drahomíra Seidlová, that isn't much, but they only purchase publications that locals want. "We always know at least five people in advance who need them," she added. Cottage owners also appreciate the services, as they wait significantly longer in Plzeň for popular titles than in Blovice. The municipal facility has been recording a consistent 40,000 loans per year for several years, which Seidlová considers a decent number. "We have 600 readers, but many more visitors, and their number is steadily increasing," she said. They read in the library or use the internet.
The new building will offer a reading room connected to a winter garden and a "wonderful children's section" with three times the space compared to the current one. In the "relaxation area" and on the stairs to the gallery, they can read and listen to fairy tale readings. The library has been in the city for 130 years since the establishment of the literary society.
The rough construction will be completed by the end of the year so that the entrance hall of the community house, including new changing rooms and restrooms, can be used in advance. "We want to hold balls there already," said Poduška. The building, where the current temporary library has been located for 11 years, will likely be transformed by the city into apartments.
The city of Kralovice in northern Plzeň also received funding from the ROP for the construction of a new library. It will be built in the square.