 |
Library of the Theatre Institute
Contacts
Hours of Operation:
| Monday: |
9:00 - 16:00 |
| Wednesday: |
9:00 - 18:00 |
| Friday: |
9:00 - 16:00 |
Library is closed during public holidays.
Characteristics
The primary goal of the Library of the Theatre Institute is to collect, process, preserve and make available all books and periodicals about Czech theatre, as well as provide a selection of theatre literature from abroad. The information system of the Library is incorporated into the structure of the Theatre Institute, and is directly connected to the activities of the Departments of Bibliography and Documentation.
The Library of the Theatre Institute is a member of the SIBMAS (International Association of Libraries and Museums of the Performing Arts)
Currently, the collection of books consists of more than 117,000 volumes of specialized on theatre literature, theatre texts,
literature of related specializations and periodicals. Documentation resources are accessible through a system of traditional
catalogues by name, title, subject and system. The on-line catalogue (OPAC) of the automated library system
KPwinSQL is also available. The resources of the Library are increased primarily through purchases, as well as by occasional
exchanges and donations. The Library obtains much of its foreign materials through co-operation with the International Theatre
Institute and with other international theatre organizations. The average annual growth is approximately 1,500 volumes.
The Library is divided into three closely connected departments:
· the Services Department provides information, processes bibliographical and information services, and also provides
catalogues of the library and collections of other manuals for readers.
· the Lending Room assistants can find requested documents for readers under a given shelf mark, and these materials can
be lent for use either in the reading room or at home.
· the Journal Department and the Reading Room offer individual issues of previous year's periodicals, selected bound
annuals, as well as a collection of manuals at the readers' disposal.
History
The Library of the Theatre Institute was opened at the end of the 1950s, but its history goes back even further.
The original collections of the Library were composed of typewritten plays, which belonged to nationalized theatre agencies,
and duplicated texts of the Czechoslovak theatrical and literary agency, now known as Dilia. After the Theatre Institute
was amalgamated with the Scenographic Institute in 1975, the Library became more enriched with collections acquired from
the Scenographic Library. Today, this specialized public library, with its resources of over one hundred thousand volumes,
is one of the largest theatre libraries in Europe.
Information Resources
Collection of Theatre texts
The Library contains approximately more than 55,000 texts for theatre (including duplicate copies) in different variants,
editions, versions and translations. The Library attempts to collect all published Czech plays, as it is very often that that
textual changes are made by the playwright or editor, or new publications may contain valuable forewords or after words.
In addition to the texts from agencies already mentioned, some of which are handwritten, the Library attempts to collect,
in as complete a form as possible, all duplicate texts of plays published by the Dilia agency, or more recently established agencies,
for their own use. Often essential changes are made in these texts while plays are in production. The resources of the Library
are complimented with foreign language translations of Czech playwrights. As well, plays by foreign authors can be found
in their original language. The Library attempts to acquire critical editions of the works of the Classics and other
important works by well-known contemporary authors in international theatre. Radio and television plays are included
in the collection only as a supplement.
Collection of Professional Theatre Literature
The collection contains almost more than 37,000 volumes of both contemporary and historical specialist literature from home
and abroad. For many years, general and special encyclopaedias, dictionaries and bibliographies have supplemented its component parts.
Works of literature from adjacent fields have also been carefully selected to be included in this collection, including scenic design,
music, architecture, ethnography, film, radio, television, etc. The library retains the complete collection of literature
published by the Theatre Institute (more than 500 different editions have been published).
Periodical Collection
Aproximately sixty-three Czech and Slovak journal titles, and more than fifty-six foreign-language titles are acquired annually
by the Library. Most of these are in the form of complete sets and are bound in annuals, preserved in the Library's collection
of contemporary and discontinued magazines, making up more than 22,000 bound volumes.
Collection of Cabaret Songs and Sketches
Collection of Costume Graphic Designs
Collection of Musical Scores
Contains primarily extracts from piano scores of operas and operettas.
The Collection of Audiovisual Documents
The Collection of Audiovisual Documents contains non-paper media, including CD-ROMs, audio CDs, DVDs, DVD-ROMs and audio cassettes.
CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs are the only purchased acquisitions of the collection; all other types of media are received as donations,
gifts or bonuses offered by publications or journals. Audio recordings (opera, spoken word, etc) are methodically purchased only
for the separate departments of the Audio Library.
Catalogues and Card Indexes
The Library resources are available to users primarily through the use of a catalogue system.
· Theatre plays, including complete texts published in domestic and foreign journals, are catalogued under the author's name and play title catalogue.
· Specialist literature is processed in the catalogue name, subject and system according to the Library's own classification system.
· Independent catalogues have been created for periodicals, musical scores, cabaret texts and costume graphics.
Currently, you can locate literature in our electronic cataloguing system.
All entries of the electronic catalogue are accessible
on the Internet web pages of the library using the OPAC (on-line public access catalogue).
Services
The Theatre Institute Library provides its services to employees of the Theatre Institute, journalists, theatre historians, teachers and
university students, the local and international public interested in theatre culture.
Lending services
Publications are loaned only to fully registered members of the Library. Any citizen of the Czech Republic can become a member
of the Library upon presentation of his/her identity card, completion of an application form and a payment of a registration
fee (200 Kč, students 120 Kč). Users without permanent residence in the Czech Republic must pay a deposit of 500 Kč, which
will be repaid after settlement of any claims. Membership is valid for one year from the date of registration. It is necessary
to reregister for the following year.
Publications, with the exception of those used on the premises of the Theatre Institute and those in the conservation collection,
can be borrowed for a period of four weeks (unless an earlier term has been agreed upon). In the event that the publication
is not required by another member, the extension of the loan period may be arranged in person, in writing or via email,
conceivably through the use of the web catalogue.
If the borrower does not return the publication within this period, a fine will be payable to the Theatre Institute Library,
and no further services will be provided until the publication is returned and the fines have been paid in full.
Reading room services
Several publications are available for perusal only in the Reference Section of the Library with the exception of those
publications that can be borrowed. These include materials whose entry is marked with the note "Ref.". Certain materials
that are available for perusal only in the Reading Room are identified with the letters "P" and "Z" and respectively magazines
with the letters "H" or "HA". In this instance, users of the Library have a reading room and a study room at their disposal,
where the materials can be taken. The Periodical Collection (H and HA) is located in the Depository, and for this reason it
is necessary to reserve the older volumes at least 4 hours in advance. The materials can be reserved in person, by phone or
by email in any department of the Library. Magazines that are located in the Periodical Study Room on the 1st Floor are the
only exception - i.e. the bound volumes in the catalogue with the signature "Ref.B" and the individual magazine issues from
the current year. These materials will remain in the Reading Room and it is not necessary to reserve them in advance.
Copying services
As a supplementary service, the Library provides a copying service with an accompanying price list.
The current prices are 2 Kč for one side of A4, 4 Kč double-sided, and 4 Kč for one side of A3, 8 Kč
double-sided. In the case of copying hardcover materials, and documents where copying can perhaps damage
the original or binding, the price starts at 3 Kč for one side of A4. Users may make their own copies, with
the exception of those fragile documents, which must be copied by the librarian. Large copy orders will be
completed by the opening hours of the subsequent day of opening at the earliest. Electronic copies or
copies of magazine articles not found in the Library collections may be found in the Virtual Polytechnic
Library, and the fees are calculated according to the valid price list of the VPL.
|
|
100x89.gif "Norway Grants")
