On Thursday, 1 October 2026, the award ceremony for the Library of the Year 2026 competition took place in the Mirror Chapel of the Clementinum in Prague. The Academic Library of the University of South Bohemia was honoured to be among the nominees in the category Significant Achievement in the Provision of Public Library and Information Services.
"Although we did not win the main prize this year, we consider the nomination itself an exceptional recognition of our team's work and a confirmation that libraries are important centres of education, cooperation, inspiration and helping others. We are all the more pleased because the nomination recognises long-term, meaningful work that goes beyond standard library services," said Helena Vorlová, Director of the USB Academic Library.
The USB Academic Library was nominated for its long-running charity collection Srdce za knihu (A Heart for a Book), which brings together the promotion of reading, community cooperation and help for people in need. The sixth edition of this traditional event took place in 2025, and the library achieved its best results to date. Over the years, the project has become an important part of the library's activities. It shows that a library can be not only a place for study and finding information, but also a space for solidarity and mutual support.
The award ceremony was attended by representatives of the Academic Library of the University of South Bohemia, together with a representative of the management of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, whose presence showed support for our library and its nomination.
We would like to thank all our colleagues, students, university staff, partners and library visitors. Their support and involvement are what make the USB Academic Library a place that connects education, cooperation and helping others. This nomination recognizes our shared effort and belongs to everyone who is part of this story.
"We greatly value this nomination and see it as motivation to continue doing work that matters," added director Helena Vorlová.
