The Hradec Library is moving to a new building, opening in September

Hradec Králové - The Study and Scientific Library in Hradec Králové will begin moving its three-quarters of a million books to a new modern building on the banks of the Orlice River next week. After the relocation, the library is expected to open at the end of September. The construction of the library started in the autumn of 2004 and cost 400 million crowns. The building, which is made of concrete and shaped like an X, is currently undergoing approval procedures. This was stated today by the spokesperson of the Hradec Králové Region, Imrich Dioszegi.
    Hundreds of thousands of books and periodicals will be moved to the new space from three locations in Hradec Králové. "The move, which also includes the transfer of furniture, computers, and individual workplaces, will cost two million crowns," said library director Eva Svobodová. A 500-year-old Venetian Bible, one of the library's greatest treasures, will also find a new place in the library.
    Until now, the library operated in rented spaces of the Jewish synagogue on Pospíšilova Street, in the study room on Eliščino nábřeží, and in warehouses in Hradec Králové's Pouchov area. The warehouses will continue to be used. The lending library in the synagogue and the study room have been closed since the beginning of this week due to the move.
    From September, readers will find most of the library's repositories under one roof, and their journey for books will be much quicker. The new building will have around 160,000 volumes available for free selection. All books that can be borrowed from the library will be ready for readers within half an hour, which was not possible before. For example, fiction books were usually available to readers only the next day.
    "A library kiosk will also be available for readers to borrow books without the help of librarians. It will be like a self-service borrowing system," Svobodová pointed out. The modern interior will also include study booths where people can study without interruption or store selected literature. The offering will also be expanded by an internet club, literary café, gallery, and conference hall with regular literary workshops, discussions, and seminars.
    The region, as the library's founder, has acknowledged that about 16 million crowns are still needed for the furnishing of the interiors. The regional authority is currently negotiating with the state, which funded the library, about covering the missing funds. "This issue, however, will not jeopardize the September launch of operations," Dioszegi stated.
    The State Study Library was established in Hradec Králové in 1949. Initially, it was located on Eliščino nábřeží, and since 1968 also in the former synagogue building. This was returned to the Jewish community in 1994, and the library in the building pays rent, which is why the library management sought the construction of a new headquarters.