Libraries are losing visitors, interest in online libraries is growing

Plzeň - Regional and large libraries in the Czech Republic are dramatically losing visitors who come to libraries in person. Thanks to the internet, they are becoming virtual readers who use the library's online services. Some libraries report a decrease in the number of physical visitors by as much as 50 percent, as found by ČTK at a nationwide meeting of directors of Czech libraries in Plzeň.
    "A striking phenomenon that we are observing across the Czech Republic is a dramatic decline in physical attendance in favor of online engagement. This trend is connected to the internetization of libraries," said Ivanka Horáková, director of the Study and Scientific Library of Plzeň Region. She estimated the decrease in readers who visit libraries in person to be at least 20 to 30 percent, in some places even up to 50 percent.
    According to the directors, unlike Western Europe, the Czech Republic is still managing to maintain the number of readers, especially in large cities. This is primarily due to universities and the expansion of library services. "The communication between readers and the library is changing completely. Libraries in cities with universities are now at a great advantage," stated Jaromír Kubíček, general director of the Moravian Regional Library in Brno and chairman of the Association of Czech Libraries.
    Thanks to higher education institutions, the number of readers is stabilizing. Kubíček did not consider the emergence of university libraries as competition; these institutions reportedly complement the library network. "As the number of students increases, we are not losing readers," he added. According to him, it still holds that the Czech nation is a reading nation.
    "For us, students are precisely the group of people who are becoming internet users today. They have their student accounts, library accounts, register online, and virtually visit our library," Horáková added.
    The library in Plzeň is, according to her, a typical scientific library, where the main part of the collection consists of professional publications, and 62 to 65 percent of clients are high school and university students. "If the threshold at the university increases by 1,000 students, we will notice it," Horáková added. The University of West Bohemia in Plzeň now has over 17,000 students, which is several hundred more than two years ago.
    Libraries are adapting to the new trend, providing online applications, online views of new releases, and online orders. Directors assess the reading culture as stable. They note that while children read less, they read on the internet, through which they access books. "There are many activities to attract new readers. We organize various contests, reader initiation ceremonies, and similar events," Kubíček added. An interesting recent example from Plzeň is writer Karel Klostermann, who was considered a "dead" author in terms of readership by librarians. After the opening of an exhibition dedicated to his life and work, interest in his works increased tenfold.