Czechia opens new national library facility with capacity for three million items

The National Library of the Czech Republic inaugurated the new building at its central depository in Prague’s Hostivař district, with Czech Culture Minister Oto Klempíř attending the ceremony. The project cost approximately approximately 35.2 million US dollars, including VAT, and provides storage for around three million books and other library items.

The facility offers 9,685 square metres of usable floor space, including 5,440 square metres specifically designed for long-term collection storage. Its shelving provides approximately 64 kilometres of storage capacity, accommodating books, maps, posters and other large-format documents.

The climate-controlled storage areas are designed to maintain temperatures of 18 ± 2°C and relative humidity of 50 ± 5%. Fire protection measures include alarm systems and nitrogen-based fire suppression.

The new premises will accommodate additions to the library’s national preservation collection, materials from the Slavonic Library and large archival documents. The library’s collections grow by approximately 90,000 physical volumes annually, including materials received through legal deposit.

The relocation of collections to the new building is expected to be completed in January 2027. The facility will also provide additional space for future acquisitions and temporary transfers of collections during further restoration work at the Klementinum, the library’s historic headquarters.

Another component of the project is the planned European Library Collections Rescue Interdisciplinary Centre (ELCRIC). The centre is intended to assist libraries and other cultural heritage institutions in recovering collections damaged by floods, fires and other emergencies. It will also provide training for conservation specialists from Czechia and abroad, with the project’s initial phase scheduled to begin in January 2027.

National Library Director General Tomáš Foltýn described the investment as a contribution to preserving the country’s cultural memory and ensuring that collections remain available to future generations.

Construction began in March 2024, and the building was handed over to the library at the end of October 2026. The project was financed through the Czech Ministry of Culture’s programme for preserving national cultural heritage. Designed by architect Jan Janoušek, the new building connects to an existing depository completed in 2014, forming an expanded storage and conservation complex.

As reported earlier, two Russian ballistic missiles struck near the Ukrainian Book Chamber in Kyiv on Oct. 18, damaging the institution’s premises, including its book storage areas, and exposing archival collections to moisture. The institution preserves mandatory copies of Ukrainian publications and maintains a national archive of printed materials.

Main photo: Z. Homolka Fedorová / National Library of the Czech Republic