Non-Local Library Visits
Full Day Non-Local Library Visits
Please note: Transportation costs will apply.
Tour 1: Oława and Oleśnia Public Libraries (Lower Silesia A)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 09:00, return ca. 17:00
Transportation Cost: 13 EUR
Library Name: City Public Library in Oława
This library is located in the City Hall. The design project is based on an exceptional historic and cultural facility in combination with modern decor and furnishings. In the library there is the Museum of the Oława region. The library is named “Lace”. It refers to the lacemaking tradition of Oława. Lace was an expression of the wealth of the townspeople. Elements of lace became the main decorative component in the library interior (walls, blinds, picture frames, shelves sides, etc.). In a room used before the war as a bank vault, the library has created a space reminiscent of fantasy or of a wonderland. There are places for children to work and spend leisure time as well as for listening to music and audiobooks.
Library Name: Public Library in Oleśnica
The Public Library in Oleśnica is the main institution promoting books and reading in the city and in Oleśnica region. The library is located in a large historic building from the early twentieth century located in the city centre. In 2014 the library was completely renovated and modernized from the funds of Programme Culture+, Priority “Library+ Infrastructure Libraries”. The building is fully accessible for people with disabilities (ramp, elevator). The interiors have been originally furnished and equipped with attention to aesthetics and functionality.
The library consists of a few parts: the main reading room, acquisition and cataloguing department, lending library for adults, library for children and youths “At the Owl”, branch library “at the Pegasus” and the museum of Oleśnica. In 2016 the library will be connected with the cultural centre.
Participants will have the possibility to visit additionally the Town Hall tower in Oława and the famous chained library in the Basilica of St. John the Apostle in Olesnica.
Tour 2: Świdnica and Czarny Bór Libraries (Lower Silesia B)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 09:00, return ca. 18:00
Transportation Cost: 13 EUR
Library Name: City Public Library in Świdnica
The City Public Library in Świdnica is located in a historic building: City Palace, the residence of the Cistercian abbots of Krzeszów. The building was built in the baroque style and is one of the oldest baroque buildings in Świdnica. To this day the building preserves baroque design elements and stucco decorations on the ceilings. In the years 2003-2005 the palace was renovated and adapted to the needs of the City Public Library. Also in Świdnica is the Evangelical Holy Trinity Church of Peace, the most precious monument of Protestant sacral art of the Silesia region, regarded as the largest wooden church in Europe. It has been entered into the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List. Its origin goes back to the Thirty-Years’ War, the main church being erected in 1652-1657.
Library Name: Public Library in Czarny Bór
An interesting example of architecture for a small rural community library. The municipality in Czarny Bór raised outside funds for the library from the Programme Culture+, Priority “Library+ Infrastructure of Libraries” led by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The project for the Library was prepared by the Project Group ISBA from Wrocław.
The tour will be extended to visiting the castle Ksiaz in Walbrzych or relax in the Health Resort Park in Szczawno Zdroj.
Tour 3: Karpacz and Jelenia Góra (Lower Silesia C)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 09:00, return around 18:00
Transportation Cost: 13 EUR
Library Name: Public Library in Jelenia Góra
The Public Library in Jelenia Góra is famous in the region for active cooperation with institutions working in the field of culture in the Czech Republic as well as in Germany. It obtains outside funds also from cross-border programs. Additionally, a visit to nearby Lomnica Palace, which lies in the Hirschberg Valley in the heart of the “Valley of Castles and Gardens” is planned. Visitors will be able to see the Palace museum, the Farm (with linen and other shops) as well as lunch at the local self-service restaurant. Participants must cover museums tickets and lunch costs.
Library Name: City Public Library in Karpacz
Karpacz is located in the Giant Mountains (Karkonosze), at the foot of Śnieżka mountain. It is a famous winter sports and holiday resort, known for its landscape and climate. The city library is located in a two-storey segment with an area of 230 m2, in the restored building of the former railway station. There is a space for the youngest readers, a multimedia and computer lab, as well as a reading room with 40 seats for readers. Additionally, we propose a visit to a stave church (“Vang Church”) originally built around 1200 in the parish of Vang in Norway, later bought by the Prussian King, transferred and re-erected in 1842 in Brückenberg near Krummhübel in Germany, now Karpacz, in the Karkonosze mountains.
Participants will visit the Toy Museum in Karpacz, which is housed together with the library in a beautifully restored railway station building.
Tour 4: Polkowice Library and Bolesławiec Live Museum of Pottery (Lower Silesia D)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 09:00, return around 18:00
Transportation Cost: 13 EUR
Library Name: City Public Library in Polkowice
This library is very active in the local community. It is a modern and well-equipped library that provides a range of services for the region’s inhabitants, responding to the current cultural and educational needs. The library is well-equipped, has access to national and regional press and large multimedia collections. It acts as an information centre for the sub-region of Polkowice.
Library Name: Bolesławiec Live Museum of Pottery
As early the 13th Century, Bolesławiec (named after its founder, Prince Bolesław the Tall) has been famous for its exceptionally good ceramic ware. The Bolesławiec manufactory presents all the stages of the manufacturing process, thanks to which visitors can take a close look at how our pottery is produced. Together with the English speaking guide, visitors will be able to see all the stages of manufacturing stoneware vessels, starting from the production of the ceramic clay, through the process of casting the forms, firing, decorating, glazing, up to the final, second firing of the stoneware vessels.
The tour will include a visit to the Bolesławiec Pottery’s flagship store (cost: 10 PLN per adult) and will be extended with a visit in the two multimedia libraries in Lubin.
Tour 5: Opole Libraries Tour (Upper Silesia A)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 18:00
Transportation Cost: 13 EUR
Library Name: Library of Opole University
The Main Library of the University of Opole is the biggest library in the region. The Library is a welcoming and friendly place for everyone interested in using its resources. It supports university employees and students in their research and teaching. The Library consists of 11 specialist libraries, and their resources correspond with the educational profiles of the faculties and institutes. The library owns an interesting collection of manuscripts from the 19th and 20th centuries, including official documents from Opole Silesia region, such as: church documents, documents from schools and relating to the history of education, biographies, letters, literary works, and others. Materials such as the Archive of the Union of Poles in Germany “Rodło”, the collection of documents of the Polish immigrants’ organization in London “Independence and Democracy”, as well as books and journal collections of the period 1978-1989 – representing the so-called second circle publishing and donated by the KARTA Foundation Centre, can all be access at the library’s archive.
Library Name: City Public Library in Opole
Modern and beautiful are the two adjectives that best describe the Public Library in Opole. The building stands on the edge of the Old Town, and close to the Gothic-baroque Franciscan Monastery, Prisoners of War Museum, Młynówka Canal and city park. The library complex consists of two parts – a 19th-century house with a neo-classical facade and a modern, partially glazed structure which blends in beautifully with the surrounding architecture. The ground floor has a press reading room, a foyer, a conference room and a cosy cafe – all opperating even outside the opening hours of the library. Above are a children’s library, a fairy-tale room with a patio, a mezzanine with an educational showcase, a lending library and reading room for adults and a mediatheque. The building has state-of-the-art media and computer equipment. Readers can use an online catalogue and a self-service system to borrow and return books. The Municipal Library in Opole offers a wide range of events for all age groups. The project received the main award in the 4th contest of “Poland Even More Beautiful – 7 Miracles of EU Funds” in the Revitalization category.
Tour 6: The Libraries of Katowice (Upper Silesia B)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 19:00
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: Scientific Information Centre and Academic Library (CINiBA)
he Scientific Information Centre is a shared library of two universities: The University of Economics and the University of Silesia, which makes it a unique institution in Poland. It is located in a new and innovative building. Its purpose is to give a wide audience access to both traditional knowledge contained in books and magazines, as well as all kinds of multimedia and electronic media. The innovative 3-storey centre, topped by a one-storey cube on top, provides functional space with a capacity for 1,000 people and a collection of some 1.8 million volumes, and was designed by the HS99 design team in Katowice. It won the title in the category of “Museums and Libraries”. The centre performs the traditional functions of a scientific library, using modern technologies and information tools. Simultaneously, it is performing new objectives, taking various user groups into account.
Library Name: Silesian Library
The Silesian Library is the main public library of Upper Silesia. The collection contains documents from all scientific disciplines, with particular emphasis on legal science, economics, social sciences and humanities as well as regional literature (Silesiaca). The Silesian Library is the oldest library in the Upper Silesia. It was founded around the end of 1922 and the beginning of 1923 as the Library of the Silesian Parliament. Since then it has become one of the most flourishing institutions propagating culture in the region. In 1998 a new library building was opened to the public. The Library has in its possession over 2,300,000 volumes, among them: printed materials (monographs, brochures, periodicals), manuscripts and typescripts, cartographic materials (maps, atlases), iconographic materials (graphic materials, drawings, engravings, photographs, postcards, bookplates), audio-visual materials (analogue records, compact discs, cassette tapes), ephemera, and electronic data carriers (CD’s, DVD’s).
Tour 7: Cieszyn Libraries Tour (Upper Silesia C)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 20:00
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: Książnica Cieszyńska
Cieszyn, sometimes called the “City of books”, is the only cultural centre of Upper Silesia in which the resources and library collections of public and private provenance have survived intact for centuries. Collections of the libraries include archival sources, manuscripts, and prints created in the region, as well as literature that since the Middle Ages has inspired the development of the region’s culture and shaped its specific character. Most of these are now included in the Cieszyn Historical Library, the municipal scientific library, the stock of which contains a total of 160 thousand volumes, including among others more than 23 thousand old prints (56 incunabula), and in addition 18 thousand inventory units of manuscripts. One of the biggest attractions is the Library of Leopold Szersznik, dating to 1801, with a unique collection of rare manuscripts that has survived in its original state and is available to visit in the Library’s new building, opened in the year 2000.
Library Name: City Library in Cieszyn
City Library in Cieszyn had been the most important centre for the development of reading culture in the local community for 70 years. The institution is located in a historic building in this city of 36 thousand inhabitants, which borders on the main commercial artery running from the Castle Hill to the Market. One of the strengths of the institution is the wide range of cultural and educational activities directed towards children, adolescents and adults in the form of cyclical activities, and the organization of cultural events on a larger scale, such as the International Festival of Reading or the National Reading Olza in Cieszyn. In 2014 the Municipal Library undertook the investment project “Library +”, involving the modernization and retrofitting of the historic Municipal Library building in Cieszyn with funds from the Ministry of Culture. The priority task was to adapt the building to the needs of people with disabilities and to provide a new multimedia studio, “YOURmedia”, for the media education of children, youths and seniors. In Cieszyn, IFLA guests can visit both libraries as well as numerous historical and natural attractions.
Tour 8: Bielsko-Biała Libraries and Sightseeing Tour (Upper Silesia D)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 19:30
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: Beskidzka Library
Beskidzka library in Bielsko-Biała is a municipal library, serving also as the county library. The library was founded in 1948, and its fate has been intertwined with the history of the city of Bielsko-Biala. The main building was built in the early 1970s and has been gradually modernized to best serve the needs of the modern user. In this building are located the main divisions of the library, as well as the European Information Point, which operates on a consensus basis with the Representation of the European Commission. In addition to the main building, our most precious collections of manuscripts are located in the special collections, housed in a historic building in the old town, while a branch on the outskirts of Złote Łany contains the Czech Centre for Information and Education, promoting Czech culture and literature. The Integration Branch on the outskirts of Grunwald carries out various activities aimed at the needs of disabled users. Additionally, the library offers IFLA visitors sightseeing in Bielsko-Biała and a gondola trip to the Szyndzielnia mountaintop.
Tour 9: Jaworzno and Tychy Libraries (Upper Silesia E)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 19:30
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: City Public Library in Jaworzno
The Construction of the Main building of the Public Library in Jaworzno was financed from the European Regional Development Fund. An important element of the visit will be the presentation of the Main Library’s architectural solutions and technology, which meet the standards of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. During the event we will invite participants to visit the Eco- Geological Education Centre GEOsphere, a special and unique theme park of national renown, which is one of the most interesting tourist destinations of Jaworzno.
Library Name: City Public Library in Tychy
City Public Library in Tychy, established in 1956, proposes the following agenda for the IFLA visitors:
- A visit to the Mediateque and a short multimedia presentation of the activities of the Tychy Library.
- Visiting selected sites in Tychy which are close together: Paprocany holiday resort, Church Of the Blessed Carolina Kozkowna, Church of the Holy Spirit built at the turn of the 70s and 80s of the twentieth century, with consecrsation and dedication on 11 September 1982,
- Visit to Tychy brewery which dates back to the early seventeenth century, (1613 was the first written record). It was created in a section of a manor house belonging to the family Pless Promnitz. The first time was mentioned in 1613 years.Poland´s largest industrial brewery, famous for its brew Tyskie, is also home to a berr brewing museum and tour.
- A Beer Feast at the Brewery.
Tour 10: Kraków Academic Libraries (Krakow A)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 20:00
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: The Jagiellonian Library
The Jagiellonian Library is the oldest academic library in Poland. Together the Medical College Library and the departmental and institutional libraries make up the library-information system of the Jagiellonian University. Thanks to its extensive collection of Polish publications, it is known as a national library. Currently, the Library processes and archives all Polish publications printed in Poland and abroad. The Library also collects foreign scholarly literature in fields that relate to the University’s areas of research and coursework. Priorities include cultural studies, linguistics, literary studies, art and religious studies. The Jagiellonian Library also offers Internet access to electronic versions of scholarly journals and electronic databases.
Jagiellonian University is the oldest higher education institution in Poland and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded on 12 May 1364 by the Polish king Casimir the Great. After the king’s death, the University ceased to exist. It was re-founded by King Vladislaus Jagiełło on 26 July 1400. Queen Jadwiga, who died in 1399, contributed to the restoration by leaving a considerable portion of her private estate to the University in her last will. The oldest, main college was at first called the Royal Jagiellonian College (Collegium Regium), and then the Greater College (Collegium Maius). The University, located in the then capital of the Kingdom of Poland, never again interrupted its educational and scholarly activity. Not only does it constitute a symbol of continuity of the Polish state, but also places Cracow among the most important educational centres in the country.
Library Name: AGH University of Science and Technology Library
The Main Library of the AGH University of Science and Technology is the largest technical library in Kraków and one of the biggest in Poland. The AGH-UST Main Library is a university-wide unit fulfilling service, didactic and scientific tasks. The Library performs the functions of a reference unit, and together with branch libraries it makes up a uniform library information system. As regards the size of the collection, it is the second library in Kraków, after the Jagiellonian Library. Moreover, the Library plays the leading part in the Kraków Library Group.
Time off for visiting the city’s main attractions:
Market Square, Sukiennice, St. Mary’s, Basilica, Wawel Castle and Cathedral, Jewish quarter (Kazimierz).
Tour 11: Kraków Special Collections Libraries (Krakow B)
Time: Departure from the Centennial Hall in Wrocław at 08:00, return around 20:00
Transportation Cost: 19 EUR
Library Name: The Princes Czartoryski Library
The Czartoryski Library is one of the most interesting historical collections in Poland. It was founded by Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski and Izabela Czartoryski Flemming. The library, located in the Czartoryski Palace in Pulawy, has been enlarged by the Tadeusz Czacki library, which included archives from Stanislaw August Poniatowski, the last Polish king. The Princes Czartoryski Library is owned by the Princes Czartoryski Foundation. In the library collection there are monuments of literature from the tenth to the twentieth century concerning the history of art, history, science, military science and literature. The library collections include, among others, over 200,000 early printed books, 200 medieval manuscripts, 80 illuminated manuscripts as well as autographs letters of Nicolaus Copernicus, Ludwig van Beethoven, Martin Luther, Adam Mickiewicz, George Byron, George Washington and others.
Library Name: Jagiellonian Library Special Collections
The Jagiellonian Library is the oldest academic library in Poland. Thanks to its extensive collection of Polish publications, it is known as a national library.
Highlights include:
- Manuscripts: The manuscript collection of the Jagiellonian Library has fortunately survived the period of the Nazi occupation. In 1946, the codex of Balthazar Behem was returned to Cracow. After the Second World War, the Library received two extremely valuable manuscripts, namely the autograph of De revolutionibus of Nicolaus Copernicus and Banderia Prutenorum of Jan Długosz.
- Cartographic collection: The most valuable objects stored in the collection of the Section of Graphic and Cartographic Collections include Liber geographiae of Claudius Ptolemaeus (Venice, 1511), Theatrum orbis terrarum of Abraham Ortelius (Antwerp, 1575), Delineatio specialis et accurata Ukrainae of Guillaume le Vasseur de Beauplan (Gdańsk, 1650), and the Topographical Map of the Polish Kingdom published in 1843.
Time off for visiting the city’s main attractions:
Market Square, Sukiennice, St. Mary’s Basilica or Wawel Castle and Cathedral