A construction work on the Scientific Information Center and Academic Library (SICAL), a joint project of the University of Silesia and the University of Economics in Katowice, draws to an end. Final interior’s outfitting is scheduled to complete in June this year. An opening is planned for autumn.
By now, the Center is being provided with furnitures, a construction crew is setting up suspended ceilings, lights and all installations necessary to deliver the building and make library’s collections possible to move to the new seat.
The SICAL will serve as a most modern Polish scientific library and comprehensive source of information for students, scientific workers and general public. It will be a place where tradition meets innovation. Except traditional printed books and other publications, a large part of the resources will be available online. Users will choose between databases, audiovisual material and multimedia content.
Printed books will be ordered remotely or will be attainable in the building through open access. Information desks and desktop computers will be put at visitors disposal, however books will be possible to borrow without any assistance.
A usable area of the Center exceeds 12 270 sq. meters in a six-storey building (plus one located underground) where first three ground floors are to be opened to users. It will hold reading rooms, conference hall, classrooms, rooms for individual work and exhibition area. The floors from three to five will house staff rooms and storage rooms for unique and protected collections. The building is designed to hold approximately 1,8 million volumes.
