At Černý Most, a new branch of the city library began operating today

Prague – The Prague Municipal Library (MKP) today opened its 47th branch in Černý Most, Prague. It is located in a recently built multifunctional building near the metro station and bus terminal. It has sections for adults and children, study spaces on the first floor, and clubrooms for group work and organizing events. It is also meant to function as a community center. The costs for the project and equipment amounted to 9.5 million CZK.

The library conducted a survey with locals to find out what activities would be welcomed in the branch. "People expressed interest in travel lectures, memory training, meetings, and showed a great interest in activities for children, such as various crafting, creative discussions, storytelling, reading with grandma," said the head of the library, Vesna Markovićová.

The branch has three clubrooms not only for the library program but also, upon arrangement, for other events. "If the smallest clubroom is not occupied, it will be freely accessible for tutoring, meetings, and similar activities. Throughout the library, we have plenty of nooks where you can sit and discuss something," added Markovićová.

For June, the branch has prepared a digital advice session for seniors, creative workshops for families with children, and a travel lecture about Iceland. In the summer, the program will primarily focus on children, and starting in September, the offerings will expand.

MKP Director Tomáš Řehák believes that the branch will attract visitors not only from the surrounding area. "Being at a transport hub, it can attract people from all over Prague and the Central Bohemian Region. It is a large library, with 1,000 square meters, and you will find over 10,000 volumes of books here," he said. The Mayor of Prague 14, Jiří Zajac (ODS), pointed out that it is exactly 45 steps from the metro platform to the library. According to him, it is the most accessible library in Prague, and he appreciated that it is barrier-free.

The branch will be open in the summer from Monday to Friday. In September, it is expected to operate on Saturdays as well. In Prague 14, there were previously branches in Hloubětín, Rajská Zahrada, and a kiosk in the Westfield Černý Most shopping center. None of them will be closed.

The last branch that MKP opened was Petřiny in 2023, shortly before that the Great Mill in Libeň. Last year, the organization launched self-service library kiosks in department stores in Budějovická and Chodov.

MKP is established by the capital city and is the largest public library in the Czech Republic in terms of the number of readers and loans. Its library collection is the third largest in the Czech Republic after the National Library and the Moravian Library in Brno. It operates 47 branches, three kiosks for quick borrowing and returning of books, and two bookmobiles in Prague. By the end of 2025, it had 169,000 registered readers and managed approximately 475 million CZK.

The multifunctional building at Černý Most metro station also houses a contact point for the town hall and about 60 rental apartments for firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers, and other professions needed for the city. The costs were 630 million CZK including VAT, with 200 million provided by Česká spořitelna. It was built by Prague 14 in cooperation with the Accessible Housing of Česká spořitelna.