National Libraries of Poland and the Czech Republic strengthen cooperation
From 13 to 15 April 2026, the National Library of Poland in Warsaw hosted a delegation from the National Library of the Czech Republic. Cooperation between the two institutions extends far beyond a courtesy visit – it is an exchange of experience in heritage protection, access to collections, digitalization, cataloguing and the modern management of resources. The importance of the occasion was underlined by the presence of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, Břetislav Dančák, and the Director of the Czech Centre in Warsaw, Petr Vlček, at this e opening meeting with the delegation, staff of the National Library of Poland and the Library’s Director General, Dr Tomasz Makowski.
Both the National Library of Poland and the National Library of the Czech Republic play a key role in safeguarding national memory, collecting written heritage, advancing research and expanding public access to culture and knowledge. The visit therefore focused on best practices in librarianship developed by each institution. The delegation from Prague also visited the exhibitions at the Palace of the Commonwealth, as well as the reading rooms and reprography studios in the Library’s main building.
Guests took part in presentations and meetings devoted to reader services, digitalization, the operation of the digital library Polona, the creation of shared catalogues, round-the-clock cataloguing and the use of AI. The exchange was not one-sided, however: there was also a presentation on research conducted at the National Library of the Czech Republic, exhibition organisation, the activities of the Slavonic Library and projects such as the digital library Manuscriptorium.
An important part of the visit was also a series of joint discussions on foreign collections, exchange programmes and the future of cataloguing. This shows that national libraries are no longer solely guardians of the past, but active centres of modern expertise that set standards for other institutions. In this context, the National Library of Poland is an important regional leader in this field, and the Czech side’s interest in Polish solutions confirms that Warsaw’s experience has international significance.
