Study NK will show how to best utilize Klementinum

Prague - The National Library (NK) is preparing a study that should suggest how to best utilize the current spaces of the library at Klementinum and in the planned extension of the depository in Prague's Hostivař. It should also demonstrate how Klementinum can be reconstructed, said Jan Cieslar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture, to ČTK. However, librarians already see that the spaces in Klementinum will not be sufficient for the library in the coming years.
    Cieslar stated that the ministry agreed on the preparation of the study with the former director of the library, Vlastimil Ježek, who was dismissed last September. "The expertise will explore possible variants for the use of Klementinum, which will be revitalized and may involve construction interventions," said the spokesperson. Due to the reconstruction of Klementinum, the current director of NK, Pavel Hazuka, reportedly established an expert team. The study will also consider the expansion of the depository in Hostivař.
    After the collections of the State Technical Library vacate Klementinum, more space will become available for the needs of the National Library. According to librarians, however, this is not enough. "Klementinum alone is insufficient. The main priority of the National Library remains the solution of space for providing services and storing collections," said Eva Štanská from the NK press department.
    The situation is unlikely to be saved by the Hostivař depository, as transporting collections to the Old Town is slow and not book-friendly. Moreover, it is a temporary solution that does not ease the shortage of study spaces and room for staff.
    The NK aimed to resolve the lack of space with the construction of a new building. It announced an architectural competition for this purpose, which was won by the proposal of the recently deceased architect Jan Kaplický. However, the project has not yet been realized, so the NK revived last year the plan for a new depository in Hostivař, which could accommodate 1.7 million volumes.
    Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek previously stated that the priority is the repair of Klementinum, and only after that can discussions about the construction of a new building take place. The former director Ježek wanted to make Klementinum more accessible - in addition to its library function, he envisioned it as a visitor and educational center. However, this idea met resistance from some individuals in academic circles, who feared that Klementinum would turn into a tourist attraction.
    The old depository in Hostivař houses four million volumes, while Klementinum contains another 2.5 million. The management of NK has been warning for several years that the capacities of Klementinum are inadequate, and a crisis with a lack of space is expected to arise as early as 2010. A new depository could save the situation until 2020.
    The construction of a new NK building based on Kaplický's design is supported by the Democracy Builds initiative, which emerged after the architect's death. More than a thousand people came to support its demonstration in the center of Prague on Thursday. The initiative is also organizing a petition, which has been signed by around 1,500 people. In the coming days, signature sheets should be available in regional cities and on the association's website. A fundraising campaign by the Foundation for the Library has also been launched in support of the realization of Kaplický's proposal.