Informative Notice
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Librarianship
The tasks of a library include:
- collecting, processing, storing and providing library material,
- providing access to the library material and electronic publications,
- preparing library catalogues, databases and other information sources,
- providing library and other information products and services,
- enabling inter-library loans and the provision of information,
- gaining and educating users,
- improving information literacy,
- protecting library material that is considered a cultural monument,
- other library, archive and information work.
As per professional principles, a library organises a collection of library material and sources of information to provide individuals and groups with access to and use of its own material and related information, inter-library loan and external accessible information sources.
According to the predominant type of users, libraries are classified into the following categories:
- general (they carry out library services for the general public in its environment, provide services for people with special needs),
- school (they support the education process by conducting library services mainly for schoolchildren, pupils, apprentices and students of higher vocational schools and professionals of these schools),
- university (they support study and research processes by conducting library services mainly for students, university teachers and workers),
- special (they carry out library services in individual scientific or expert fields),
- national (the central state library and a public institute).
Every library must have a director or a person responsible. The director of an independent library, who manages the professional work of the library, and the person responsible, who manages the professional work of the dependent library, must fulfil the conditions for an expert worker in a library.
The director of a general library is appointed by the council of the general library on the basis of a public tender. The term of office is five years, while every person with at least a university degree and who fulfils the conditions determined in the articles of association may be appointed director.
Library services are carried out mainly in public institutions as a public service and only exceptionally also on the basis of a concession.
Applies for SKD:
- Library activities R91.011
Conditions
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Registration and appropriate status are required in order to pursue library services.
A library is a legal entity or its organised unit that pursues library services.
Evidence
- Extract from the Business Register (AJPES) – the competent authority acquires it ex officio.
Legal basis
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Library services are a public activity carried out by public institutes. Other legal entities and individuals may carry them out on the basis of a concession.
Its scope is determined with a programme of work and financial plan or concession agreement.
Legal basis
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The manner in which a library operates is prescribed with the Rules on the General Operating Conditions, which must be accessible to library users. The rules of operating with users are determined in a special chapter of the operating rules.
A library defines the types of services and price list as an addendum to the operating rules, which must be adopted before the end of every current year for the next year.
The operating rules of a library must set out at least the following:
- business ethics,
- duties of a library towards its users and members,
- rights and responsibilities of users and members regarding the library material,
- accessibility and conditions of library use,
- time and other restrictions related to the loaning of material,
- services and use of the library,
- language of operation,
- types of services, and
- price list of services.
Legal basis
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Operating hours of a specific type of library are as follows:
- national library: nine hours uninterrupted per day, five days per week, five hours on Saturdays;
- general and regional general libraries: eight hours per day, five days per week, five hours on Saturdays;
- local libraries: four hours per week (towns with up to 2000 citizens), 15 hours per week (towns with up to 6000 citizens), four hours per day and five days per week (towns with over 6000 citizens);
- Bibliobus: one visit to a densely populated settlement twice a month.
Summer and pre-holiday operating hours are defined in the library operating rules.
The library must be open during the periods that suit the maximum number of its potential users.
Operating hours are displayed in a visible place near the library entrance.
Legal basis
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The national bibliographic system comprises libraries that fulfil the conditions for inclusion in the system, the national library and the organisation carrying out the activity of library information services for the exchange of data in this system.
It is deemed that a library is included in the national mutual bibliographic system if its local catalogue is accessible to its users through this system.
Legal basis
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The library register is managed by the National and University Library on the basis of a public authorisation. All public libraries are registered. The library register is a public record in electronic form.
Every library performing a library public service (namely general, university, special libraries and the national library) must be registered.
The national library issues a decision on registration based on the fulfilment of the conditions and completed registration form and valid articles of association. After registration the library receives a certificate of entry.
Decision on the fulfilment of the conditions for carrying out library services
The fulfilment of the conditions for the provision of the library public service is determined by the national library except for public libraries, for which the fulfilment of the conditions is determined by the Ministry of Culture.
A library performing a public library service must meet the conditions on a permanent basis. If the library no longer meets the conditions upon verification, a decision is issued, which also sets a deadline of three years for fulfilling the conditions.
A library that does not meet the conditions for the provision of the library public service after the deadline for completion shall be deleted from the library register. The national library issues a decision on deletion from the register and sends it to the library.
Deletion from the register
The national library also deletes the library from the register based on a decision on termination. If the founder fails to notify the national library of the termination, the national library shall delete the library from the register ex officio.
Data changes
The library is obliged to send the national library data related to status changes (establishment, merger, exclusion, termination of the library) within 15 days after the change takes effect. The library must send any changes to other data by the end of February of the year following the year in which the change takes effect.
If the national library requests the data to be updated outside the deadlines referred to in the previous paragraph, the library must send the new data within 15 days of receiving the request.