Services

Loans and returns

The Palacký University Library provides on-site lending services for use directly in the reading room, as well as circulating lending services for study outside the library.
Circulating loans are limited to Palacký University students, staff, alumni, and other user categories. Teachers and PhD students involved in teaching may also borrow items that are normally designated for on-site use.
The identification card (ISIC) serves as the library card.

Reader account (My account)

Serves to control items, loan renewals, and the reservation of borrowed documents. To establish a reader account, users can apply in person at the central library's lending desk or at any other library branch, or via email at vypujcka@upol.cz.

Renewing items

Only documents that another reader has not reserved can be renewed. Renewals can be made using your reader account, in person at the library, by phone at 585 631 749, or by email: vypujcka@upol.cz. Each document can be renewed only three times.

Reserving items

Only borrowed documents can be reserved using a reader account. The reader picks up reserved documents at the branch he has chosen.

Storage requests

Documents stored in the Armory's storage facilities can be requested using your reader account. They will be available for study one hour after the request is made.
You can request in person documents stored in the storage areas of other branches from the staff of the relevant library.

Returning items via the book drop

Borrowed documents can be returned outside library opening hours via the book drop (bibliobox). Documents will be removed from the reader account by the following working day at the latest.
Biblioboxes are located in the area of the Armoury, in front of the Theoretical Institutes building, in front of the Faculty of Science building (Envelopa), in the building 27a of the Faculty of Science on Šlechtitelů Street, in front of the Faculty of Physical Culture building (Neředín), and in the building A next to the staircase at the Faculty of Law.
Biblioboxes are intended only for returning documents to the Palacký University Library!

Late return fees

Failure to return a borrowed document by the specified date results in a financial debt; see the price list. The debt can be paid at the lending desk in cash, by card, or by bank transfer. Payment details must be requested by email to vypujcka@upol.cz.

Interlibrary loan services (ILL)

Through interlibrary loan services, readers can request books and journal articles from other libraries in the Czech Republic and abroad that are not available in the Palacký University Library or other libraries in Olomouc. The service is provided free of charge; the user only pays for copying services and postage, see the price list.

Contacts and requests

Palacký University users – order ILL requests via their reader account at the Palacký University Library (request for ILL book and request for ILL copy of article/chapter)

Libraries

Department

Central library of Palacký University ("Armoury")
Biskupské nám. 1, Olomouc, 779 00
ground floor, door no. 162

At the Library of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Ivana Šlachtová (ivana.slachtova@upol.cz, 585 632 954) is responsible for processing requests from their collection.

Information, bibliographic and reference services

An integral part of the lending departments' activities is ongoing work with readers and the provision of methodological and advisory services to individuals, including document searches in the library's union catalog.

The library also offers bibliographic and reference services, as well as advisory support on matters related to information sources, professional databases, bibliographic citations, publishing, and more.
It provides literature search services for teachers, researchers, and postgraduate students at Palacký University, and administers Grammarly EDU licenses.

Contact and requests

You can submit search requests in person at the Central Library (Armoury), ground floor, room 159, or apply for a subject search at the relevant faculty branch of the Palacký University Library.

Information literacy

Free training courses and consultations focused on working with electronic information sources, citation practices, publishing activities, and issues related to artificial intelligence are offered to students and academic staff of Palacký University.

Training and Consultation

The content and scope of the training sessions and consultations can be adjusted and tailored to the specific needs. Alternatively, you can choose from a range of standard topics.

  • Electronic Information Resources
    Preparation for searching, search strategies, selection of keywords, advanced search techniques, etc.
  • Citation
    Bibliographic citations and references, Citace PRO Plus reference manager, academic integrity in referencing, and plagiarism prevention.
  • Publishing Activities
    Formal and content aspects of academic texts, understanding the peer-review process and the Czech research evaluation system, navigation through tools for promoting research outputs, etc.
  • Artificial Intelligence
    Working with selected AI tools and chatbots for literature searches, image and audio generation, prompt engineering, using AI tools in compliance with academic ethics and integrity, plagiarism prevention and detection of generated text.

Contact and requests

Research Support

The library offers support and advice in the field of responsible and open science. This includes, in particular, publishing in open access mode(journal/repository selection, journal verification, open licenses, etc.) and research data management (depositing data in a repository, data management plans, compliance with funder requirements and institutional policies, FAIR principles, etc.).

The Research Support Office administers the university’s Open Access Fund and open access publishing with selected publishers under transformative agreements (Read & Publish). For more information on these topics and the services offered, please visit the dedicated Open Science website.

Printing, copying, scanning

Self-service copying and printing machines are available at all library branches. The copying is a paid service based on ID card with a pre-paid credit, see the price list.

Credit for ID cards (chip cards, ISIC)

Users can prepay a credit (a minimum price of 10 Kč) for copying and printing on self-service machines. In the Armoury, payment is made at the circulation desk. Unused credit is transferred to the next school year. When a user receives a new ID card (due to loss or damage), credit is automatically transferred to the new ID card. After the conclusion of studies, the credits are paid back on demand.

Scanning

Self-service scanning is free of charge.

Internet in the library

There are several ways how to connect your devices to the internet. You can find more information on Palacký University Wiki.

Laptops and tablets loans

In urgent cases, it is possible to borrow a laptop or tablet from the Palacký University Library. This is a short-term loan (for example, if your own device is being repaired).
Laptops are available at all branches of the Palacký University Library except the Sts Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology, while tablets are available at the Armoury and at the branches of the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

Rules for borrowing laptops and tablets

  • Laptops and tablets may be borrowed only by students or employees of Palacký University upon presentation of a valid ISIC card or employee ID.
  • Devices are available for one day only (or until the closing time of the relevant library branch).
  • Borrowing is processed through the library system in library document mode.

Historical prints reading room

The Historical Prints Reading Room is located on the 2nd floor of the Central Library (Armoury) and is open for in-house study of ordered materials, subject to the room’s capacity.
The Palacký University Library holds approximately 3,000 historical prints, which are gradually catalogued and placed in a dedicated collection in the catalog. These items can be searched and ordered for study.
Studying is permitted only under the supervision of research room staff and in compliance with strict safety and hygiene regulations. Access is available to students, academic staff, and the public, provided they complete the Researcher’s Sheet.
The operation and obligations of users are governed by the Researcher’s Rules. To arrange an in-house study session, please contact Mr. Lubomír Borýsek (lubomir.borysek01@upol.cz or +420 606 259 226).

Night study room

The Night Study Room in the Central Library (Armoury) is open 24/7. Users can connect their own devices to the university network. The room is equipped with food and beverage vending machines and has its own restroom.
Entry and exit outside regular library hours is possible every hour (±10 minutes) using an ISIC card. Access to the Armoury building is only through the entrance at Biskupské náměstí 1 (from the gatehouse). The night study room is monitored by the security service at the gatehouse (tel. +420 585 631 102). For detailed information, please refer to the Night Study Room Operating Rules.
Palacký University Library users may borrow on-site use books for study in the night study room.

Borrowing on-site use books for the night study room

  • Books can be borrowed one hour before the library closes.
  • All borrowed books must be returned the next day by 9:00 AM.
  • Readers may borrow a maximum of 15 books; Category A readers may borrow up to 25 books.
  • After 9:00 AM, books must be returned exclusively at the loan desk. Before that, use the book drop opposite the Armoury gatehouse.
  • Late returns incur a fine of 50 CZK per book per hour.

Language, group and individual study room

Located in the Central Library (Armoury), ground floor, door No. 157a. The room is primarily intended for classes of the British Centre of Palacký University Library and for events organized by the Library. It can also be reserved for language lessons at Palacký University, for groups of students, academics, and staff for study purposes, project meetings, and similar activities. The room may also be used as an individual study space. Information about availability is provided by the reservation system.

Opening hours 

Monday–Thursday 8:00–22:00
Friday 8:00–19:00
Saturday 9:00–16:00

How to book a language study room

  • In person at the Central Library reception
  • By phone at: 585 631 730
  • By email to: recepcekup@upol.cz
  • All reservations outside the British Centre can only be made until 3:00 p.m.
  • Reservations can only be made for the current semester.
  • In case of uncertainty about the occupancy of the classroom, the head of the British Centre of the Library will make the final decision.

The key to the study room will be issued at the Central Library reception upon presentation of an ISIC card or a employee card. Please return the key to the same location when your reservation ends. When handing over the key, the receptionist will check the condition of the room with you.
You can extend your booking at the reception desk if the room is not reserved by another user.
Reservations and use of the study room are free of charge.
Please note: No food or drinks are allowed in the study room (except for resealable plastic water bottles).

The study room is available exclusively to Palacký University students, academics, and employees.

Sale of discarded books

On the webpage with the list of discarded books for sale, you can browse books that the Palacký University Library has removed from its collection. You have the chance to give them a second life for a symbolic price (5 CZK per item). All of these books are available next to the library's lending desk in the Armoury.

The books offered for sale are in good condition. Please note that full-text search is not available on the webpage; the books are arranged alphabetically and by subject (e.g., Bohemistics, Czech fiction, history, etc.). Select the titles you are interested in from the list and send an email to: vyrazeneknihy@upol.cz.
We will prepare the books for you, and you can pick them up in person at the Central Library (Armoury) at the lending desk. You can look through the books and take them home after payment.

We want to give these books from our storage one more chance to bring joy to someone like you.

Services for Palacký University graduates

You can borrow up to 5 books. Copying and scanning services are available.
The annual registration fee at the British Centre is 100 CZK, and you receive a 5% discount on Cambridge English courses (FCE, CAE, CPE); pretests and consulting services are free.

Services within the program U3A

Students of the University of the Third Age who attend multi-year study programs can borrow up to 15 documents. The annual registration fee for them at the British Center is 100 CZK.
They can obtain a student card in the Armory building (Biskupské nám. 1) at the identification card office. To get it, you must present a photo ID and pay a 200 CZK refundable deposit for the card.

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