The scientific library will present the results of the restoration of historical funds at the Prolonged Life exhibition

With an exhibition and an accompanying program, the Scientific Library in Olomouc will present the restoration of its rare historical collections, which took place in cooperation with students of the Faculty of Restoration of the University of Pardubice. The exhibition Prodlužený život will be inaugurated on Tuesday, April 30 at 5 p.m. in the Red Church and will last until June 22, 2024. On Monday, May 20, the exhibition will be complemented by a guided tour and a workshop.

The historical holdings of the Science Library in Olomouc are among the largest and rarest collections in the Czech Republic, they contain a valuable cultural heritage that needs to be protected in order to preserve it for future generations. Thus, the scientific library not only preserves the funds, but also takes care of them. In addition to its own restoration workshop, the library cooperated with the Faculty of Restoration of the University of Pardubice in Litomyšl between 2006 and 2022. Over the years, over fifty books from the 15th to 18th centuries have undergone restoration work by students under the supervision of the management of the Atelier for the restoration of paper, bookbinding and documents.

At the exhibition, nineteen examples of restoration from the aforementioned period will be presented in the form of panels. Visitors can also look forward to a selection of restored books. “On display will be the Margarita philosophica, a Strasbourg edition of the medieval encyclopedia from 1504, a rare Venetian edition of the Geography of Claudius Ptolemy, a 2nd-century Alexandrian librarian who was famous above all as a mathematician, astronomer and geographer, and the oldest playing cards in Moravia, which originally formed decks one of the restored books. There will also be a sample of the selected material and tools used during the restoration,” says Michaela Heloňová for the Scientific Library.

The opening of the exhibition Prolonged Life will take place on April 30 at 5 p.m. in the Red Church. The exhibition will be complemented by a guided tour on Monday, May 20 from 5 p.m., followed by a workshop. Those interested can bring one older document (diploma, birth certificate, certificate, map, etc.) and, together with experts, mechanically clean it and seal any cracks. The capacity of the workshop is limited to 20 places, it is possible to book in advance at www.vkol.cz.