The National Libraries of Poland and the Czech Republic strengthen their cooperation
On 13–15 April 2026, the National Library of Poland in Warsaw hosted a delegation from the National Library of the Czech Republic. The programme of the visit demonstrated that cooperation between the two institutions extends far beyond a courtesy meeting – it is an exchange of experience in the protection of cultural heritage, access to collections, digitisation, cataloguing and modern resource management. The importance of the event was underscored by the presence of the Ambassador of the Czech Republic, Břetislav Dančák, and the Director of the Czech Centre in Warsaw, Petr Vlček, during the opening meeting of the delegation with the staff of the National Library of Poland and its Director, 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 citizens’ access to culture and knowledge. The programme of the visit therefore focused on presenting examples of good library practice applied in both institutions. The delegation from Prague had the opportunity to see the exhibitions at the Palace of the Commonwealth, as well as the reading rooms and reprography studios in the main building.
The guests took part in presentations and meetings devoted to reader services, aspects of digitisation, the operation of the digital library polona.pl, the creation of shared catalogues, 24-hour cataloguing, and the use of artificial intelligence in this field. However, this was not a one-sided exchange: there was also a presentation on research conducted at the National Library of the Czech Republic, the organisation of exhibitions, the activities of the Slavonic Library, and projects such as the Manuscriptorium digital library.
An important part of the visit also consisted of joint discussions on foreign collections, exchange activities, and the future of cataloguing. This shows that national libraries today are not merely guardians of the past, but also 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 best practice, and the Czech side’s interest in Polish solutions confirms that the experience developed in Warsaw is of international significance.
