Plzeň is preparing a major revitalization of the central library for one hundred million CZK

Plzeň – Plzeň is preparing a comprehensive revitalization of the main building of the city library in the city center. The city has completed an architectural and operational study, which is the first step towards a reconstruction that will improve library services and enable the development of its community activities. The transformation of the library is expected to take place in 2025 and 2026, with estimated costs of nearly 100 million crowns. Plzeň is promised up to 70 million from the ITI Plzeň Agglomeration grant program, said the city councillor for culture and heritage Eliška Bartáková (ANO) today to ČTK.

The City Library of Plzeň is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Czech Republic, but since its inception, it has struggled with inadequate space in the building on Bedřich Smetana Street. "It is situated in a very accessible location in the city center, and around 500 readers visit it daily. However, its spaces and facilities do not meet the needs of users, employees, or the book collection," said Bartáková. The most significant transformation is expected for the ground floor space of the Central Library for Adults and the attic, where a multifunctional hall with a clubhouse for community activities and a small rooftop terrace is planned. The proposed modifications will affect all six floors.

The study was developed by Plzeň architects Jaromír Veselák and Jan Toman in collaboration with librarians. "The task was to explore possibilities for developing the building and to propose a new functional spatial arrangement that would meet the standards of the 21st century. One of the priorities, considering immobile citizens and seniors, is also the removal of barriers," said Helena Šlesingerová, director of the City Library of Plzeň. The study will serve as the basis for announcing a competition for the construction project next year.

The building, built in 1914 originally as the Anglo-Austrian Bank, is a protected monument and is also part of the city’s conservation area. As part of the row construction, it allows for very little extension. The library has been using it since the 1950s and houses the Central Library for Adults, the Central Library for Children and Youth, the Information Services Study Room, Polana Hall, and spaces for management and organizational support.

In addition to the central building, the City Library of Plzeň comprises nine libraries with all-week operations, 12 small libraries in all city districts, and a Book Bus—a specially modified bus full of books with nine stops in the city. The library registered 26,240 users last year, which is 3,400 more than the previous year. At the beginning of last year, the library was still affected by anti-pandemic measures that had impacted the two preceding years. In the last pre-pandemic year, the library had 27,566 users. The average daily attendance at the library last year was 1,121 people, and readers made 742,096 loans. The library collection has over 481,000 items.