From the history of the library
Written by Mgr. Gabriela Boháčková Last Updated on Sunday, 28 February 2010 16:29
1863
According to the records of the district archive the first library in Česká Třebová was founded in 1863. At that time the Reader's Association arose, which owned also a small library.
In 1874 this association transformed into „Občanská beseda“. From this the Municipal library was stablished in 1920. It was located on the ground floor of then girls' school at the Old Square. Before the Public library was founded in Česká Třebová, there had existed libraries in several political associations and craftsmen guilds, there was also the Municipal library, already mentioned. According to the library law, all the existing libraries in the town gradually merged.: The Municipal library was united with the library of local Sokol, with craftsmen library, library of the Social Democaratic Party and library of the National Unity Northbohemian.
1922
However a part of the bookstock was distributed into Czech libraries in surrounding villages, where the majority of Germans lived. This reorganization came about during the year 1922.
The first notice about the opening of Jirásek's Public Reading-room in Česká Třebová, we could read in then central bulletin of the District Authorities in Ústí nad Orlicí in April 1922. Based on the annual register of Jirásek's Public Library in 1922, it is evident that the library was made accessible to the public already in autumn 1922. The reading-room was situated next to the library. Public libraries in other parts of the town t.i. in Parník and Lhotka originated even before that one in Třebová, eg. Public library in Lhotka originated in 1921.At that time the activity of the town public library was managed by the 9-member library council. Half of the council members were established by local council. Among the duties of the library council the re was the nomination of the librarian and assistant servants, administration of financial account, decision making about buying and discarding books, setting rules for borrowing books und using the reading-room, protection of the library interests against the community and public and handing in a written annual register. The first whole year of activity of Jirásek's Public Library and Reading-room in Česká Třebová was 1923. In the first years the library was located in the building of the grammar school, later in the girls' schoolat the Old Square, in the building of today's Municipal Office. The first librarier was a teacher Antonin Kunst.
1945
In the year 1945 the town public library was renamed to the Local People's Library.
1955
In the 1950s the library moved to the building of former Živnostenská banka (Trading bank) at the other side of the Old Square. In this building the library resided until 1991. The first library in Parnik was moved in the 1950s too. From the building of today's fitness center Za vodou to the building of today's sweet shop U Krulisu where it used only one room. In 1987 the library got second room for using. In 1990 library in Parnik moved to the building on Ustecka street where is till these days.
1998
From the second quarter of 1998 the library has internet access.
2000
In the year 2000 the first phase of the changeover to the automatized processing of the bookstock was finished and on 1st March an automatized circulation record of the librarian programme LANius was set going at the children's department. In 2001 a reading- and study room was established in a newly gained room on the ground floor with barrierless access.
2001
Reading room was opened. Three computers with internet access are placed here now to serve the general public. Later on the adult department followed and from January 2006 the branch library in the urban neighbourhood of Parník is fully automatized as well.
2005 - present
In October 2005 the library converted to the librarian programme Clavius, which distinctively extends the possibilities of the older LANius. From January 2006 library has own web sides with on-line atalogue.
At present The Town Library is settled in Smetanova street and has the function of a central library. It manages 13 local libraries in surrounding villages, occupied by volunteers, it buys and delivers xchangeble bookstock to them. There is a branch of the town library established in Parník.
