Seat reservations in reading rooms now possible!
The readings rooms of the National Library of Poland will re-open on Monday, June 8. It is already possible to reserve seats and order items from the collections now. Reservations for the Main Reading Room can be made via the Catalogue of the National Library.
A total of 50 seats will be available each day, until such time as the regulations on hygiene are relaxed. If the number of readers is less than the number of seats available, restrictions on seat reservations will be lifted.
To reserve a seat in the Main Reading Room:
- Go to the reservation page
- Log into your reader account
- Select a place and date
- Order and choose the desired time slot
- Check the reservation details in your account.
You can reserve a seat for one of the following time slots:
- 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.
- 1.30 to 5.30 p.m.
- 6.30 to 8.30 p.m.
A maximum of one reservation per day is allowed, and you must order items from the collections at the same time via the Catalogue of the National Library.
Please note the new rules in force from June 8 concerning use of the reading rooms during the epidemic. These rules are designed to ensure the safety of both Library users and staff:
- Disinfect your hands on entering the National Library and cover your mouth and nose
- From June 8-20, 2020, you may order a maximum of two items (19th to 21st century books and periodicals) per seat reservation
- You must return the items borrowed before placing a new order
- If you wish to order an item from a collection for which online ordering is not possible, first reserve a seat then email your order to bnczyt@bn.org.pl
- We encourage you to order publications which are not available in other libraries in Warsaw or via the Academica interlibrary loan system for books and scientific publications or POLONA
- We will send orders for early printed books and most microfilms for free scanning and make them available via POLONA within a week. During the epidemic, these items will only be available via POLONA
- Using the "On-demand digitisation" service you can already place orders for free scanning of early printed books and other publications not covered by copyright (copyright usually ends 70 years after the death of the author, so items published before 1950 are generally out of copyright)
- Manuscripts are available in the Heritage Collections Reading Room (Czytelnia Zasobu Wieczystego) between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Please reserve a seat by email: manus@bn.org.pl.
- To access prints and drawings, maps, musical scores or ephemera, please make an appointment with the head of the collection in question via email:
Prints and drawings: ikon@bn.org.pl
Maps: kart@bn.org.pl
Musical scores: zzmuz@bn.org.pl
Ephemera: ulotka@bn.org.pl
Questions about reservations? Please email bnczyt@bn.org.pl or call (22) 608 23 30 or (22) 608 24 91.