Dear all,
We were finally able to update the programme page, so you can download the materials from there.
And of course, there is also the link to the photopage.
Alena
Travelling from airport Ruzyne to the centre of Prague
PUBLIC TRANSPORT (bus and underground/metro):
1. buy ticket for adult (26 CZK/ 75 min.)
2. take a bus no. 119, get off at Dejvicka bus stop
3. at Dejvicka there is underground/metro route A, travel direction DEPO Hostivar, get off at Staromestska station.
4. For navigation from Staromestska station you can use map from here (scroll down)
Useful page with transportation maps
TAXI:
Airport Ruzyne - mobil phone: 608 160 160
Halotaxi
Telephone: 244 11 44 11
O2 602 177 292
T-Mobile 603 845 825
Vodafone 776 11 44 11
AAA Radiotaxi
Basic connection: 14 0 14
222 333 222
2211 0 2211
Links:
What to know about Prague (basic information and some phone numbers - police, ambulance etc.) Visit Prague
Very good page with information about monuments, transport, events and with "ABC for tourists" Prague Information Service
Conference bag:
In conference bag (which will be prepared in your hotel) is among other things
- map of the centre of Prague
- ticket for public transportation (valid from 1.6. till 6.6.)
- conference brochure with actual programme (there still are small changes)
In case of need call 774 369 147 (Alena's mobile phone)
Emergency phone number: 112
Address of the Central Library of Municipal Library of Prague is:
Marianske namesti 1.
Prague 1
Map is here.
It is around three minutes (by foot) from hotel Rott and just above metro station Staromestska
forward to meeting you!
Alena
Shelf: ConferentialsA limited number of scholarship grants, each worth EUR 1500, for international participants from needful metropolitan libraries is available through the Metropolitan Libraries Section (MLS) to assist those wishing to attend the Annual Conference 2008 in Prague, Czech Republic but are unable to obtain funding from other sources.
The scholarship is named Stuart Brewer Scholarship Grant in memory of our late Information Coordinator. “Helping librarians to attend conference from countries who cannot afford to send them is a cause which he always supported. He firmly believed in widening and strengthening international links at the concrete, personal level, as well as through the communications media…” in a letter written by Pat Brewer, his widow, on 6 October 2005, giving consent to the Section to name the scholarship after Stuart Brewer.
Applicants should meet the following conditions:
1. Must be working in a metropolitan library
2. Must have a minimum of 5 years of library experience
3. Must present a paper at the Annual Conference of the Metropolitan Libraries Section. The title and abstract of the paper together with a short background description of the presenter must accompany the application.
4. A short write-up on how professionals in your library will benefit from your experience at the MLS Annual Conference is required.
Applications must be made on prescribed form. To get the form, please contact us at metlib@mlp.cz.
Closing date for application is 3rd April 2008.
Shelf: ConferentialsAs you know (from registration page) the conference fee is
300 € for Metropolitan Libraries Section (METLIB) members
220 € for accompanying persons (accompanying persons can attend social events and some parts of program)
350 € for non members
Please note that these fees are valid for people registered on or before 23 March 2008.
The fees from 24 March onward are
330 € for Metropolitan Libraries Section (METLIB) members
242 € for accompanying persons (accompanying persons can attend social events and some parts of program)
385 € for non members
Unfortunately, we can't accept credit card payments. We apologize for the inconvenience.
For the bank transfer, please include the following information:
Beneficiary:
Mestska knihovna v Praze
Marianske nam. 1
115 72 Praha
Czech Republic
Bank transfer to (address of receiving bank):
Banka PPF banka a.s
Na Strzi 1702/65
140 62 Praha 4
Czech Republic
SWIFT: PMBPCZPP
Details of payment:
in format: 32414 and Payer´s name
Bank account: 2000280005
Bank Code: 6000
IBAN format of the bank account: CZ93 6000 0000 0020 0028 0005
If your organisation requires an invoice before payment can be made, please contact us at metlib@mlp.cz.
Cancellations:
If you find you cannot attend the conference, you can:
– transfer your registration to another delegate
– cancel your registration. If you do so on or before 18 May 2008 you will receive a refund less the costs already incurred by Municipal Library of Prague (not more than 10%).
We regret that no refund can be made for cancellations from 18 May 2008 onwards.
In both cases please contact us by e-mail at metlib@mlp.cz
Alena
Shelf: ConferentialsIt seems, that the Most Frequently Asked Question so far is: "Which
hotel in Prague would you recommend?"
Well, we are not specialists in that
area, so we asked the same question our partner - DC Service.
And the recommendation goes to:
***** Hotel President
Hotel President boasts of perhaps the best location of all hotels in Prague. It is situated on the bank of the river Vltava, in the very heart of the historic city centre, just 50 metres from Hotel Inter-Continental Prague, and some 300 m from the Old Town Square. The hotel is fully air-conditioned. Offers a restaurant, lobby bar, fitness and casino.
The hotel was completely refurbished and re-opened in September 2004.
**** Hotel Rott
The newly refurbished Hotel Rott is located in the very centre of historical Prague at Little Square, adjoining the well-known Old Town Square.
Four-storey Hotel Rott consisting of two buildings offers 82 luxurious rooms and
apartments. In history there was situated a famous ironmongery U Rotta. One of the buildings prides itself with beautiful frescoes. Thanks to its location it ensures unbelievable views on sharp spires and red brick roofs of Prague historical centre. Close proximity offers the most famous sites, such as Old Town Astronomical Clock, Old Town City Hall, Charles Bridge, etc.
Each room is equipped with a private bathroom with shower, hairdryer and telephone, individually controlled air conditioning, satellite TV, safety deposit box and mini bar.
*** Hotel Central
The Central is located directly in the historical heart of Prague, in the quiet atmosphere of the Old Town and only a 3 minutes walk from the Old Town Square.
Recently renovated, the 7-storey hotel built in 1931 offers 70 comfortably furnished rooms. All have bathroom (shower/bath) with toilette and are equipped with hair dryer, direct dial telephone, safe and satellite TV. There is also a lobby bar in the hotel.
A buffet-style breakfast with a selection of hot and cold dishes is served in the hotel restaurant furnished in Art Deco style.
When you register for the conference, you will get a link to the webpage, where you can book your hotel room at special conference price.
If you don't find suitable accommodation here, please don't hesitate to contact directly DC-Service (info@dc-service.com), they are willing to find you the accommodation which suits you best.
Yeah, and they provide a whole lot of services like sightseeing tours, transfers from/to airport, very useful webpage for visitors etc.
Alena
P.S. The main building of the Municipal Library of Prague is going to be our morning gathering place. All of the hotels are in short walking distance. On the map, there are:
red - Main building of the Municipal Library of Prague
green - hotels
blue - popular Prague places (we certainly have more than two popular places in Prague. We will add more later.)
that you might find useful:
| November 2, 2007 | Registration for the conference has started. Submissions of papers are invited. |
| February 29, 2008 | Last day for submitting papers or abstracts. |
| April 20, 2008 | Registration ends. The registration fee should be paid by now. |
| April 20, 2008 | Last day for booking hotel room via conference webpage. |
| April 30, 2008 | Final* version of the programme is published. |
| May 18, 2008 | If you have to, this is the last day for cancelling to receive refund. |
| June 1, 2008 | The conference begins. See the programme page. |
*Well, the real final version of the conference programme will be known just after the conference. There is always something that changes.
Alena
Shelf: ConferentialsWe just aded the register form to this website and information about submitting papers. Sorry, it took us a little bit longer than we expected...
Alena
Shelf: ConferentialsOur Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs published the "International Booklet for Foreign Nationals - Czech Republic". On more than ninety pages you will find all the information you could possibly need.
My favourite chapter is "Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication". There is advised how to speak with us, about what and other such things.
E.g. this is nice:
"When communicating with others, a person is expected to do so in a polite, nonconfrontational and considerate manner. It is customary to give the chance to participate
to all of the people involved in a discussion and to listen to all opinions – even those to
which we are opposed and to which we should not respond impulsively."
Too bad, they forgot to remind us of this.
But still - it is interesting to see the attempt to jam something as complicated as culture in ninety pages.
It could have been worse. It could have been reduced to "Mostly harmless".
Alena
Shelf: Useful
Today, Charles Bridge is exactly 650 years old. Or at least its foundation stone is.
The stone was layed at 5:31 am because astrologers and numerologist said so: the Sun was in conjunction with Saturn and that was great and the date and time when written looked great (1357.9.7.5:31) and that was cool.
Then it took 45 years and loads of eggs to build the entire bridge around that one stone.
Charles Bridge is one of the must go places in Prague. And, considering how big Prague is and where the main building of the Municipal Library of Prague stands, it is not very likely you will miss that one.
Every day, 30 000 people cross the bridge. So if you want to enjoy the place and not just crowds, try visiting the bridge early in the morning. I suggest to come when it is still dark and wait for the sunrise. That's the time when Prague is magic.
Alena
P.S. There is a lot of legends about the bridge. One of them contains all the eggs:
The mortar for the bridge was being enriched, among other things, by fresh eggs. So many towns and villages were sending cart-loads of eggs to help build the bridge. And it happened that in one village they were so affraid that they could break the eggs during the way that they rather hard-boiled them...
Sometimes the information brought by the media is... well... incomplete. So I'd rather add here some basic facts about the Czech Republic:
Alena
Update from 4.7.2007 The last one is maybe the tough one? I couldn't resist posting this - News reporter referring to our President as "Klaus Topolánek"... That is like referring to the American President as "Cheney Bush" (well, I know this isn't very good example as almost everyone knows Bush and almost no one knows this particular Klaus).
For Czech people the mistake is even more funny considering the relationship between President Klaus and Prime Minister Topolánek. You wouldn't say it's love...
Almost two months ago we promised that you would find pictures from the Seattle conference on this webpage. So here you are!
Alena
Shelf: ConferentialsPeople are restless. They are always on the road from somewhere to somewhere. Those happier know where exactly are they going. And few people know where librarians are going...
We know that: They are going to Prague to attend the next METLIB conference!
Are you also going? Our bloguide gives you the information you truly need.
For starters - thanks to Google the Almighty - the map with directions.
And if you ask: "Why does the journey start here?", the answer is: "Where else should it be? This is the place, where the Prague conference begun to live."
I know, some of you have already seen this map. But do you know, where (at least according to Google) the Municipal Library of Prague is? Let's find out;).
Alena
Update from 27.6.2007Alas, Google spoiled all the fun and doesn't show the directions from Seattle to Prague anymore. Someone probably complained about the swimming part.
That's why you can see just pictures, not the original webpage.
