In this sense, we cannot omit such achievement as e.g. the Czech National Bibliography of the whole 20^th century published on CD-ROM (and soon available on Internet). The implementation of a completely new version of the Aleph library integrated system, quite different from the previous one, meant a crucial turning point for both the library work and the users’ comfort. Owing to this fact, the library had to go through a substantial change in the organization and the structure of related works. And consequently, dozens of colleagues not only had to move to other working places, but they also had to change their working habits and practice very often. A generous subsidy, allocated by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports within the program ‘Information Sources for Research and Development’ enabled us to organize or to join consortia for using foreign electronic information sources. The scope of their current offer is unprecedented. The National Library was able to contribute to the program ‘Prague – European City of Culture for the year 2000’ with two projects: the first was the renovation of the Baroque Library Hall and the Astronomical Tower of Klementinum in order to open them to the public, and the second was the exhibition of old printed books on the occasion of the world anniversary of book-printing; both projects have been highly appreciated. The completion of the Czech part of the ‘Handbuch deutscher historischer Buchbestände in Europa’ and its presentation met with a good response. The examples mentioned above represent only a small part of a great number of the National Library activities presented in this annual report.

In addition, in the last year of the century, we began to prepare materials concerning the reconstruction of Klementinum, the seat of the National Library, in order to submit them to the Czech Government; its decision then will be crucial and will mark the way of the library through the whole century.

We enter the new century the self-confident, but questioning as well: although we have achieved much of that we needed, and know what is the most important and necessary, the future undoubtedly hides much that is unknown and unexpected. Let us believe that, as we did so far, we will be able to cope with challenges appropriately also in the future.

I extend my thanks to my colleagues for their work in favour of the National Library, and to all others who supported and encouraged us in the year 2000.