NL Operation from October 14, 2020

Based on the Resolution of the Government of the Czech Republic Nr. 1021 on the adoption of a crisis measure, dated of October 12, 2020, the operation hours of the National Library of the CR are significantly reduced for the public from Wednesday, October 14, 2020. Persons entering and staying in the premises of the National Library of the Czech Republic are obliged to use respiratory protection and disinfect their hands.

Overview, schedule and conditions of provided services from October 14 to November 3, 2020.

Complete overview of changed opening hours from October 14, 2020 here >>>

Main Hall, General Reading Room, and Slavonic Library Opening hours from October 14, 2020:
Monday and Friday: 10,00 – 16,00
Tuesday - Wednesday - Thursday: 13,00 – 19,00

Main Hall

• Readers are obliged to enter the Main Hall and stay there with covered mouth and nose and disinfect their hands at the entrance
• Off-site loans
  Requests shall be placed through electronic catalogues
  (we appreciate, when a reader brings his/ her own ballpoint pen to sign the loan receipt)
  Return of loans – we prefer communication by e-mail, by phone (general questions), if necessary also personal consultation
  It is possible to return loans via delivery services, in case of Česká pošta, it is necessary to choose a registered/ insured consignment
• Prolongation of the registration, registration of new readers

For special opening hours of individual reading rooms, kindly see their web pages:

General Reading Room
Scholars Reading Room - the booked documents are available in the General Reading Room
Social & Natural Sciences Reading Room - restricted operation, entrance possible only from theGeneral Reading Room
Reference Centre - ILL services only by prior agreement (by phone, e-mail), documents from the reference library are available in the General Reading Room
Periodicals Reading Room - the booked microdocuments are available in the Social & Natural Sciences Reading Room, other documents after prior agreement (by phone, e-mail) are available in the General Reading Room
Slavonic Library Reading Room
Library of Librarianship Literature
Manuscripts & Early Printed Books Reading Room
Music Department Reading Room
Hostivař Reading Room

Basic conditions of the NL reading rooms´ operation

• Opening hours as of October 14, 2020
• Only the registered readers shall be admitted in the designated NL premises and reading rooms
• Readers are obliged to have covered mouth and nose when they enter the reading rooms and stay there, and to disinfect their hands at the entrance
• The operation of study seats and technical equipment requires special measures:
  - the number of study seats is limited, their deployment is adjusted to secure a two-metre distance between readers
  - readers cannot change study seats or move them within a furniture set
  - when a reader leaves a technical equipment (PC), this is disinfected; another reader can use it only after it has been disinfected
  - readers must inform NL staff at the desk than they finished their work with electronic catalogues ALEPH or RetrIS (digitised card catalogue) on a freely accessible station (keypad and mouse must be disinfected before the next user)
• Issue of volumes (Library items) for on-site use and return thereof to NL staff proceeds at the circulation desk as usual
  - readers standing in a queue must keep the distance of two metres (follow signs)
  - readers shall use hand disinfection when at the circulation desk
• Readers shall comply with the special rules in the NL reading rooms during the period of restricted régime (see links to reading rooms´ web pages)
• Unbound newspapers and periodicals are made available in the General Reading Room after prior agreement with the Periodicals Reading Room (by e-mail or phone),
  - a reader returns them to staff at the desk with information whether he/ she intends to study the items on the following day
• Compact discs (the content based on text, picture) are made available only in the Social & Natural Sciences Reading Room
• Photoduplication services and printing from Kramerius Digital Library are provided in the Social & Natural Sciences Reading Room and in the Main Hall
• Operation of toilets and WC for the public and for NL staff is separated from each other; we ask readers to respect this separation for hygienic reasons.

Prague, October 13, 2020

PhDr. Mgr. Jana Huňová
Head, Public Services Division