The new Rakovník library is finished, it will also become a cultural center

Publisher
ČTK
23.06.2023 07:20
Czech Republic

Rakovník


Rakovník - The Rakovník library is completed and will also become a cultural center. It will open to the public for the first time on Friday, when it will host an open house day. It will start operating in a trial mode from Monday. It is located in a new, multifunctional building. Previously, it operated in several different locations. The city paid approximately 150 million crowns for the library, including equipment and modifications of the surrounding area, of which 75 million crowns will be covered by a European grant. The construction lasted over two years, the library director Milena Křikavová and Rakovník mayor Luděk Štíbr (ODS) told ČTK today.


The library offers not only a modern environment but also a café, study rooms, and other places to sit, relax, and get tutoring, among other things. "The library is not just about reading, but also about meeting and talking," the director stated. The library also operates an information center and will serve the public with a social and lecture hall. It will participate more extensively in various municipal cultural events. There are also commercial spaces in part of the building, for which the city is currently looking for tenants. The original city library spaces will be used by the Rakovník city office.

The transfer of the children's collection from another building was assisted by students from Rakovník schools, including both primary and secondary schools. A professional moving company and inmates from the nearby Oráčov prison were also involved in the complete relocation. The city building in the square and the building of the Office for the Representation of the State in Property Affairs on Na Sekyře street had served the library until now. Additional items were in several warehouses. The library's collection, aside from audio carriers, magazines, and other documents, comprises 86,000 books. Young people, according to Křikavová, frequently utilize services such as borrowing audiobooks.

The building was created by renovating three houses near Husovo Square. Roman Hartl, a library worker and historian, told ČTK that both end buildings from which the library was renovated date back to the 19th century. The third building was completed in the 1980s and served as a school cafeteria. It was completely replaced by the modern part of the library. The historic houses were preserved. The one standing on the corner of the square was built in 1847. It was home to the Měšťanská beseda association, which hosted concerts, theatrical performances, recitation evenings, and more. "At that time, it was the epicenter of cultural and social life in Rakovník, and thanks to the library, it's returning here," Hartl described.

The study for the new library was created in 2007, and it received a building permit in 2011. The decision to start construction was made by the council eight years later. The work began in 2021 and lasted until March of this year. The impact of the conflict in Ukraine was also a reason, which, according to the mayor, led to a decrease in workforce and longer waiting times for some components for the construction company. Therefore, the city management repeatedly extended the deadline for completion for the contractor; however, even the extended deadline from the end of last year was not met, which is why the city management is negotiating the penalty amount with the company.

The city covered the investment with a loan of 100 million crowns, as obtaining a grant was not guaranteed in advance. With the allocation of the grant, funds will be freed for another investment, which will likely be the construction of a new sports hall or the renovation of the football facility, including the grandstand. The council will decide.
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