Borrowing, extending, returning...

Books maybe studied in two ways:

• by being borrowed home (known as an absence loan)
• studied directly inside the library building (known as an on site loan)

The most effective way to search for books is through the online catalogue. Most of our books are stored in closed stacks and it is necessary to order them through the online catalogue.

To find out if a book is available or where it is located, see its status

If the book may be taken home (an absence loan)

• the loan period is one month, it could be extended up to three months (provided it is not reserved by another reader).

If the book is located in the closed stacks (its status will read: “Month”)

• Most of our books are located in closed stacks
• Books located in closed stacks may be ordered through the online catalogue – the order remains valid for 5 working days
• Books are usually prepared within one hour
• Books that should be retrieved from the closed stacks on the day of order have to be ordered prior to 6 p.m., on Saturdays prior to 1:30 p.m
• Retrieve books at the Loans counter located on the ground floor. The book will be located on a shelf organized according to the last two digits of your library card.

If the book is located in the open stacks (its status will read: “Open St. Month”)

• Use the open stacks collection on the 1^st floor and ground floor where you can choose from our newest and most frequently borrowed books  
• Search according to shelf location 2  - collect your book at the Registration and Loan Counter located on the ground floor.

If the book may only be studied in the MZK building (an on-site loan)

From reading rooms (its status will read: “Study Room”) 

• Anyone may come and study books placed on shelves in reading rooms
• Search according to shelf location no 2 (signatura2)

From the stacks (its status will read: “Study Room”)

• If you want to study books located in closed stacks you need to have a yearly or one-time registration
• Order via the online catalogue
• Books are usually prepared for readers in 1 hour
• Books and music materials that should be retrieved from the closed stacks on the day of order have to be ordered prior to 6 p.m.
• Loans are collected and returned at the On-site Loan Counter located on the 4th floor.

In the depository (its status will read: “Dep.”)

• Books are located in a depository outside Brno and will usually be prepared in one week.

This year’s issues (its status will read “Current Year”)

• Current issues of newspapers and journals can be found in the Newspapers and Journals Reading Room located on the 2^nd floor
• Search on your own according to the title among the shelves with the most popular titles selection 

Previous editions (its status will read “Study Room” Collection – name of the reading room)

• Older, most frequently borrowed editions are located in the Humanities Reading Room and in the Natural and Technical Sciences Reading Room

Other editions (its status will read “Study Room” Collection “Stock / within 1 hour”)

• All other editions are placed in the closed stacks – use the online catalogue to order these
• Ordered newspapers and periodicals may be collected in the Periodicals and Standards Reading Room according to the last two digits on your library card
• The order remains valid for 5 working days.

• We lend audio and audiovisual documents on a regular basis.
• We also rent MC and LP.
• An overview of audio recordings can be found in the online catalog.

• The foreign libraries on the 2nd floor contain more than 35,000 volumes of foreign publications.
• A large number of foreign publications can be found through the online catalog.
• E-mail: zhr@mzk.cz, phone: 541 646 321. 

In our library you can study historical and rare collections.
Manuscripts and Early Printed Books reading room is dedicated to working with these documents.
Contact email: rukopisy@mzk.cz, phone: 541 646 155

As of February 2011 the Multimedia and Music Reading Room have been closed. The New Music Corner can now be found in the Humanities Reading Room located on the 4^th floor. There are two listening carrels and a digital keyboard instrument as well as an expert music guide and music periodicals.

The MZK owns a unique music collection 
 

• Historical documents are placed in the Manuscripts and Old Print Reading Room located on the 4^th floor
  • Music prints up to 1850 (around 5,000 units) - from the 18^th and the 1^st half of the 19^th century. The collection focuses primarily on music of 18^th century Czech composers and contains a number of works in their first editions – e.g. works by J. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. van Beethoven, F. Schubert, R. Schumann, F. Liszt, and F. Chopin
  • Music manuscripts (around 1,500 units) – from the second half of the 17^th century until the present (autographs, copies). Among the most interesting items is a handwritten copy of Mozart's compositions Motetto “Venti, Fulgur, procellae” (1780)
  • Music microfilms - (more than 900 units) – compositions by 18^th and 19^th century authors (contemporary prints, autographs and copies from chateau and monastic archives in the Czech Republic or abroad).
• Contemporary documents - use the online catalogue to order
  • Music prints since 1850 until present  (around 100,000 units) – collection of a universal nature
  • Music reference books (more than 500 units) contain specialised music dictionaries, encyclopedia and selected professional musicological literature. Other books on music may be found in the MZK stock.
  • Classical and popular music periodicals (current year) and previous years editions of magazines are located in the Newspapers and Journals Reading Room.
  • Sound recordings (more than 15,000 units) - MC, LPs, and CDs of various musical genres.
• Music online databases
  • Naxos Music Library
  • Oxford Music Online

Copying scores of musical works borrowed from the library is not permitted under Copyright Act No. 216/2006 Coll., even in the case of it being for one’s own use. The library also does not allow copying of audio files, or their play using one’s own recording equipment.

• Can't find the book you are looking for? Try the interlibrary loan services.

If another reader is not interested in the book, you can extend its loan. In total, you can have the book on loan for up to 3 months if no other reservation is placed for it.

You have probably already exceeded the maximum loan period (in which case the books must be brought to the library) or the work has been reserved by another user. Alternatively, you may have an expired registration (the system will block the possibility of renewal if there is less than one month left until the end of the registration validity period) or an unpaid fee. Check your account status, any fees can be also paid online. You can also register renew online - then the renewal option will be unlocked again.