Knihovna, Lidi and Pivo

Tuesday, October 2

KD and I went to the Central Library and met with Dr. Marie Cadkolva, the head of the Central Library. She will be visiting the Queens Library next week along with Ms. Vera Vonavkova from the Marketing Department. Dr. Cadkova is looking forward to attending a basketball game at the Garden. This is their first trip to New York. I know they'll learn alot at Queens Library and enjoy NY, just as Kathy and I are learning about their library and enjoying Prague.

The Central Library building is located in the city center and not far from the "Staromestska" metro station. It was completed in 1928 and designed by the renowned Czech architect Frantisek Roith, who conceived it as a cultural institution with several lecture, concert and exhibition halls. At the time it was created, the building was one of the most modern in the world. From the 1970s, though, it ceased to meet the needs of a modern information insitution. Between 1996 and 1998 the City of Prague funded the reconstruction of the Central Library, allowing its services to undergo major changes. The building modifications have remained true to the original architectural and artistic character of the building.

The MLP system is made up of the Central Library, 48 branches and 3 bookmobiles. The Central Library and 21 branches are automated. Automating the branches is ongoing; three to four libraries are automated each year. The branches are divided into six districts. There is an annual fee of approximately $4.00 in the automated network and $2.00 in non-automated branches for Czech residents over 15 years old. Children do not pay an annual fee. If you are not a resident of the Czech Republic, you are required to pay a deposit of approximately $50.

After a fruitful day of visiting and touring the Central Library, We went to a Czech restaurant for dinner called Klub Architekt. Lined with our phrase and guide books, we managed to navigate through Old Town to find the place. We ended up sharing a table with an American couple on the way to Berlin to visit their son who lives there. They are from Cincinnati. She works at Northern Kentucky University and he is a clinical psychologist with a private practice. The food was very good and Kathy and I enjoyed our first taste of Czech beer-Pilsner Urquell. She likes light; I like dark. Beer is very cheap here. It's only about $1.30 for half a litre. A good time was had by all.