The Slavonic Library – a collection of documents related to the history of the library (1924–2024)
| Name | The Slavonic Library – a collection of documents related to the history of the library (1924–2024) |
 The Klementinum, featuring the Slavonic Library, on a commemorative postcard from 1961. Miloslav Zima, linocut, 10.5 × 14 cm |
| Catalog Number | T-SK | |
| Volume | 4276 inventory units | |
| State of Cataloging | The collection has been fully catalogued and is freely accessible for research | |
| Languages of Documents | Primarily Czech, followed by all the other Slavic languages, and to a lesser extent German, English and French |
The collection contains a set of documents documenting the history of the Slavonic Library, a department of the National Library of the Czech Republic focusing on Slavic studies. The collection has been built up continuously since the foundation of the library in 1924, and it consists of a colourful mosaic of different types of documents. This collection contains the primary sources for the history of the Slavonic Library for the entire period of its existence.
The documents in this collection are divided into eight parts. The first part consists of books of two main types: (a) office records books and (b) three visitor books. The remaining five parts of this collection (Sections A-E, described below) contain a miscellaneous set of papers.
Section A contains files relating to the management and operation of the Slavonic Library. Of these, the set of personal files and materials for the library’s annual reports are likely to be of most interest to scholars. In contrast, Section B is dedicated to the building of the Slavonic Library’s fund: a core part is the set of pre-war documents relating to the purchase of important collections and estates. Section C has limited scope as it is devoted to cataloguing and associated rules. There is a focus on library services in Section D. Here there are borrowing records and extant materials relating to the organising of exhibitions, lectures and conferences. Thereafter, Section E contains documents dealing with the Slavonic Library’s bibliographical work, i.e. the publication of printed bibliographies and other related editorial activities.
In addition to documents, this collection also contains Photographs and Varia. These materials were assembled after the paper material archived in Section A was created. The collection of photographs captures the entire period of the Slavonic Library’s existence from its beginnings in the Governor’s Summer Palace (Místodržitelský letohrádek) in the Royal Park (Královská obora, today’s Prague Stromovka Park) through to the move to the Klementinum, and thereafter. The Varia, or miscellany, materials contain three-dimensional objects such as medals, informational notices, and paper documents framed under glass.
The Collection of Documents on the History of the Slavonic Library is incomplete and is not the only primary source on the history of the Slavonic Library; however, it is one of the most important extant resources. Consequently, the purpose of this catalogue is to make it easier for researchers to study this unique collection, and facilitate greater use of its rich detail. This is important for the specific study of the history of the Slavonic Library itself, and for broader studies of librarian history and culture more generally.