Study facilities
Libraries
Access to books, journals, and other resources is available at the Research Library of Olomouc (www.vkol.cz) and the University Library (www.knihovna.upol.cz).
The University Library is situated right next to the Philosophical Faculty in the building of the former Theresian Armoury (constructed in 1770) which was converted into a library at the beginning of the 1990s. During the archaeological research carried out in the course of renovation, valuable artefacts dating back to the Late Stone Age were found in the Armoury yard.
Some documents are accessible only on a reserve basis, which means that they can be used only in the Library. However, copies can be made on the self-service photocopiers situated in the Library. The Library also offers services of the Interlibrary Loan Networks. By 31st December 2004 there were 340.045 documents in the Information Centre of Palacký University. The average annual acquisition is about 12.000 documents. The Library subscribes to approximately 1.000 periodicals (periodicals for the Faculty of Medicine are not included).
A considerable number of books, magazines and films are available in the British Centre, which is a part of the Library. The British Centre closely cooperates with the British Council and they organize together the international Cambridge exams of English.
During the academic year the University Library is open Mo-Thu 8-22, Fri 8-19, Sat 9-16. More information you can find here: http://www.knihovna.upol.cz/fileadmin/user_upload/ knihovna/NoveStranky_Dokumenty/knihovna2.pdf
Information technologies
Centre of Computing Technology and Audiovisual Centre, also located in the building of the former Theresian Armoury, ensure the development of university-wide activities in the field of computer and communication technology. There is a computer lab at the Faculty itself and several computer labs in the University Library. Students have access to computers equipped with a high-speed Internet also in the Halls of Residence.
Professional Advisory Centre
Professional Advisory Centre is intended for graduates, as it focuses on helping them with self-assertion on the job market. The Centre cooperates with the Department of Sociology and Andragogy and it offers its services to the university community in general. The same aims are pursued by the newly established Fair of adult education AEDUCA, ensured by the Institute of Life Long Education of the Philosophical Faculty of Palacký University.
Arts Centre
The baroque building of the former Jesuit boarding school is one of the oldest parts of the University of Olomouc. After a demanding and generous reconstruction, Palacký University has obtained a large historical complex with many original spaces. Five art-orientated departments of the Philosophical and Pedagogical Faculty have got new auditoriums and classrooms, studios, representative conference halls for international meetings, and offices for students and teachers.
However, the Art Centre of Palacký University is not meant only for pedagogical and research activities. It is involved in every-day cultural and artistic life of the city and region, while having its own dramaturgy. Personalities and ensembles performing here have connections to scholarly specializations of the departments and to artists and scholars from both the Czech Republic and abroad with whom the departments collaborate. The inhabitants of Olomouc as well as tourists visit the university cinema and theatre, an attractive concert hall in the Chapel of Corpus Christi, exhibitions installed in the large corridors as well as in the gallery Konvikt, and performances and concerts taking place in the atrium or in the quadrangle. After the performances, visitors can stay in the Centre, visiting the restaurant or the student club in the basement. For summer schools, theatre festivals and fine art exhibitions which take place here, the Art Centre is opened during the holiday time too. Those who are interested may ask for a guided tour in the Centre.
STUDENT LIFE
The opportunities for social, cultural, and sport activities in Olomouc are very rich. Thanks to its history, the city offers a unique cultural environment. The Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moravian Theatre, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the Regional Museum are housed in the city. Visitors to the city, as well as the students, will surely appreciate numerous cosy bars and restaurants in the centre of the city. The U-club, which is situated at the Halls of Residence, offers a wide range of concerts over the academic year. Every year an international film festival of documentary films (AFO) is organised in Olomouc, which offers a wide perspective on world problems.
Sport activities can be pursued in many university or city sport facilities: the university sports hall (for indoor sports, body building, etc.), the swimming pool with sauna and other offers, the ice-hockey stadium (with regular ice-skating for the general public from autumn to spring), the university boat centre which is again situated close to the Halls of Residence, can offer boat rides on the river Morava.
last update: 18.9.2011
