Silesian Collection Reading Room

General information

Silesian Collection Reading Room is situated on the level 3 in the Wroclaw University Library on Fryderyka Joliot-Curie 12 St.

Address for correspondence:
Wroclaw University Library
Circulation Department
Silesian Collection Reading Room
F. Joliot-Curie 12 St.
50-383 Wroclaw
phone: +48 71 37 57 604
e-mail: sc.bu[w]uwr.edu.pl

Opening hours:

Rules and conditions of usage of the Silesian Reading Room are determined in the Rules of Collection Circulation in the Wroclaw University Library, Chapter 2 - Access to collections in reading rooms.

I. Collection in the Silesian Collection Reading Room

The reference collection includes monographs and serials, microforms and electronic documents regarding Silesia, including: encyclopedic and dictionary publications, bibliographies, biographies, historical sources, studies on the general history of Silesia and its regions, Wroclaw and other cities, address books, monographs of individual places, genealogical and heraldic sources, literature on religious and national issues, culture, art and science. It is complemented by selected publications regarding Lusatian region, maps and atlases.
The reference collection, numbering about three thousand items, is arranged in divisions, with free access to shelves, and is available only locally.

II. Conditions of usage

1. Who can use the Reading Room:

   • persons over 18 years old with valid library cards,

   • pupils of high schools – after obtaining the consents of the Director of the Library.

2. Rules for users of the Reading Room:

   • leaving in the coatroom: overcoats, umbrellas, briefcases, backpacks, bags, laptops covers, etc.

   • leaving at the library desk proper document authorizing usage of the Reading Room, i.e. valid library card/students ID and presenting to the librarian valid identification document with picture,

   • signing in the guest book legibly, to behave quietly, don‘t use cell phones to conduct calls, don't bring and eat food and/or drinks, and don’t smoke.

     Attention: library security can remove from the Wroclaw University Library’s building person, whose behavior is in violation of the Rules of Collection Circulation in the Wroclaw University Library or violates generally accepted standards of human intercourse.

     Attention: Wroclaw University Library is not responsible for any private property left unattended by the users.

3. Library's materials that are available in the Reading Room:

   • materials from the reference collection of the Reading Room,

   • collections from the storage of the Silesian-Lusatian Collection, marked in the catalog with the GSL symbol, the so-called Silesiaca (all content related to the Silesian area, biographies of people related to the Silesian region and publications issued in Silesia before 1945) and Lusatica (materials about Lusatia, regardless of the language and place of publication, and all prints in Lusatian languages),

   • the 19th and 20th century collection of cimelia marked in the catalog with the symbol C.

   • in the Reading Room user can also use his or her own materials, that should be reported to the librarian,

     Attention: The reference collection of the Reading Room is free accessible for users. Library’s materials that are no longer required by user have to be returned to the librarian. Materials form the Reading Room can be used only locally.

     Attention: In the case of most materials from the Silesian-Lusatian Collection and cimelia, the user should remember that they are dealing with historic collections and handle them with particular care. Please report any defects or deficiencies in the provided materials.

     Attention: Special collections from the Silesian-Lusatian collection are available exclusively for the scientific researchers to users with an academic degree. Students and PhD students as well as persons, who are performing researches on behalf of scientific or cultural institutions, can use these collections after presenting Recommendation for using of the special collection from their academic tutors or employees, explaining aim and scope of conducting researches.

     All users using special collections are obligated to fill User’s declaration. After receiving Declaration, librarian is obligated to verify the correctness of personal data with user’s identity card.

     Declarations and Recommendations are valid for the period of calendar year starting from the date of issue.

4. Ordering of materials from the Storage Department to the Reading Room:

   • orders for library's materials can be placed from online catalog and from digitized catalogs, Users can submit: 5 orders (order slips) from the on-line catalog and 6 orders (order slips) from digitized catalogs,

   • the number of materials issued at one time depends on their state of preservation and, in accordance with the Rules of Collection Circulation in the Wroclaw University Library, is limited to:
     5 volumes of books or magazines or microfilms or CD / DVDs, 1 fascicle of social life documents, 3 volumes of old prints, 1 block of works from the Wratislaviana collection,

   • after exceeding this limitations, subsequent orders may only be submitted after returning all or part of the volumes that have been used,

   • User is obliged to use library materials only locally in the Reading Room and to return them unchanged.

     Attention:
     Fulfilling orders up to 60 minutes before closing the Reading Room (orders placed afterwards will be completed next day).
     Time for accomplishment of order is about 45minutes. In the rush hours accomplishment time can be extended.

5. Copying of materials in the Reading Room:

   • in the Reading Room the paid self-copying service is available for library’s materials published after 1950,

   • users can make copies in form of pictures (free of charge) in compliance with the copyright law with one's own digital camera (without flash light), excluding cimelia, old prints, Wratislaviana and collections in bad state of preservation. Every-time permission from the librarian is needed.

   • users can place orders to the librarian for paid reprographic services done by Library's Reprographic and Digitization Unit. Fee for these services is charged accordingly to current current price list.

6. For users in the Reading Room are available:

   • computer workstations,

   • microform readers,

   • access to paid self-copying service for library’s materials published after 1950,

   • access to wireless Wi-Fi network (login and password can be obtained from librarian) as well as Eduroam wireless network. The network is broadcast under the name "eduroam" and provides coverage of the entire Reading Room.
     The Eduroam network can be used by students and employees of UoW who have access to the Office365 service. The login data looks the same as the login data to the mail, i.e. name.surname[w]uwr.edu.pl and password,

   • users’ desk adapted for the disabled people (i.e. using wheelchairs, as well as visually and/or hearing impaired - magnifying glass for text software, lector software and set of headphones). On request Braille keyboard is available, too.

   • accessories helping in the use of collections: pads, wedges and weights, stationary magnifiers and magnifying glasses, headphones.

7. Usage of computer workstations in the Reading Room:

   • computer workstations in the Reading Room have been installed in order to provide access to: the catalogs of the Library, the Wrocław University Library Digital Library, e-Reading Room, other digital resources of the Library, and to provide access to the library's materials in electronic form.

     Attention: Access to some licensed databases is possible only in the WUL's Scientific Information Department.

8. Prolongation or reservation of library’s materials in the Reading Room:

   • Materials ordered to the Reading Room can be reserved and prolonged on user's order. Materials not used during three days are sent back to the storage department.

   • Materials from the reference collection of the Reading Room cannot be reserved.

   • After finishing work in the Reading Room, before leaving it, user is obliged to return all materials to the librarian in unchanged state. After returning all materials by the user, librarian gives back user's library card/ student's ID card.