The National Library in the Clementinum - the heart of Czechia's library network

The former Jesuit college in Prague, with its nearly eight million items, is the largest library in the Czech Republic. At the same time, it serves as the central institution of the entire Czech library network. By law, two copies of every book published in the Czech Republic must be sent to the Clementinum. One becomes part of the public collection and is normally accessible to readers, while the other is preserved in a conservation archive. The most valuable item in the library is the Vyšehrad Codex, whose value is estimated at around one billion Czech crowns.