Main Reading Room

Main Reading Room - a view of the stands for readers (tables and chairs) and bookshelves.

The Reading Room provides access to books and magazines stored in the library’s storerooms as well as a free reference library (13,000 volumes), which includes a selection of literature from various fields of knowledge. It is arranged according to the systematic classification of the Silesian Library. Separate book collections are also available in the reading room:

  • European Documantation Centre
  • Societá Dante Alighieri Library. Committee in Katowice. Contains books and journals in Italian on the subject of culture, art, literature and science,
  • Esperanto collection, the core of which is a gift from the Polish Esperanto Association. The collection contains documents in Polish and Esperanto,
  • Collections dedicated to Konstanty Wolny (1877-1940), the first Speaker of the Silesian Sejm, Blessed Rev. Dr Emil Szramek (1887–1942), outstanding Silesian pastor and Kazimierz Gołba (1904–1952), writer and publicist.

Computer stations located in the reading room offer access to the Academica digital interlibrary loan service, Legalis legal information system and databases available in the library network. Three individual workrooms are also available for readers.

Location symbol in the Integra electronic catalogue: CG

Price list of fees and services provided by the Silesian Library

Main Reading Room
plac Rady Europy 1, 40-021 Katowice
tel.: (+48) 32 208 37 60
e-mail: czytelnie@bs.katowice.pl


  • Online Exhibitions

    These are virtual thematic collections presenting selected stationary exhibitions or presenting library collections, including documents and objects. The collections are constantly supplemented with presentations, multimedia shows and photocasts.

    See