PWork on the project to extend and refurbish the MNK Czartoryski Museum Library began due to the poor structural condition of the Library building at 17 St Mark’s Street. The premises, which had been in use since the 1960s, no longer provided suitable conditions for storing the unique book collection and required urgent action. This situation prompted the creation of a development plan for the institution to bring it into line with modern requirements, with a particular focus on the needs of its users, including those for whom the Library’s existing layout and operating principles present architectural and accessibility barriers.
The project involves construction and conservation works. It covers construction, adaptation and finishing works in the Library building and the inner courtyard, the purchase of furnishings and specialist equipment necessary for cultural activities, conservation works on historic buildings selected for protective and full conservation, the digitisation of collections and the publication of the results. Key elements of the project include: expanding the Library’s cultural and educational offering, information and promotional activities, and tasks related to management and accounting.
All activities forming part of the project are carried out in accordance with horizontal criteria aimed at combating discrimination – we are committed to ensuring equal access and treatment at every stage of the work, as well as broad support from the project team, future users of the Library’s services, and transparency in our work. We refer to the guidelines and requirements of the European Commission, the institution funding the activities, thanks to whose programmes the project can be realised.
The complexity of the project activities requires that, from the very start of the refurbishment – and thus long before the Library’s users begin to make use of it – the project team takes into account and implements the applicable rules and standards for the implementation of projects funded by the European Funds. The aim of this approach is to level the playing field for the women and men involved in the project: to ensure freedom from violence and stereotypes, to create opportunities for economic development based on equality – gender balance in decision-making processes and the empowerment of women – and to improve accessibility for people with different functional needs. We are committed to ensuring everyone’s full participation in the project and to eliminating divisions (in education, employment and access to services).
The work on the extension and refurbishment of the MNK Czartoryski Museum is a comprehensive process comprising as many as 10 areas of work carried out by smaller teams of staff at the National Museum: supervision and responsibility for the project’s progress have been assumed by the Directorate and the Management Team.
Conservation, restoration and construction work is being carried out by the MNK Technical Department, whilst information and promotional activities are overseen by the Marketing Department, the Management Team, the Education Department and the Publications Department. The procurement of equipment and fittings requires a wide range of expertise, involving the Technical Department, the IT Department, the Conservation Department, the Education Department, the MNK Czartoryski Museum Team and the Accessibility Section in the project, whilst the Public Procurement Section is responsible for conducting tender procedures and procurement. The conservation of movable heritage, book collections and museum artefacts is carried out by the Conservation Department. In parallel, the digitisation of movable heritage, book collections and museum artefacts, as well as their online accessibility, is being undertaken (Digitisation Department), alongside staff development (Personnel and Human Resources Department). The project includes educational activities (Education Department) and substantive work related to cooperation with partners from other countries, led by the MNK Czartoryski Museum Team.
From the very start of the project, we have ensured that the entire team involved in its implementation is properly informed and trained, and has access to tools to support the smooth running of the work. This is achieved through, amongst other things, meetings and workshops, as well as guidelines for the team, developed by the MNK Accessibility Section in collaboration with the MNK team. In preparing the guidelines, the authors of the document, which is available to the team, benefited from the support of Ingrid Szrajer, an expert from the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy on EU funds.
Every project co-financed by EU funds is required to meet the criterion of compliance with the principle of equality between women and men. Already at the planning stage, it is expected that measures will be prepared to promote equal opportunities for the disadvantaged gender (where such inequalities have been identified) or to establish mechanisms ensuring that discrimination and exclusion on the grounds of gender do not occur at any stage of project implementation.
The project implemented by MNK addresses gender equality issues within the project team in a positive manner – The Management Team, led by Anna Sobesto, comprises members of both genders and also involves individuals with proven knowledge and experience in conducting activities in accordance with the principle of gender equality, ensuring that at no stage of the project’s implementation does discrimination or exclusion on the grounds of gender occur.
Given the nature of the project, which necessitates the prolonged closure of the MNK Czartoryski Museum to the public, communication is of particular importance to us: both ‘technical’ – internal – communication and that directed at those who will visit the renovated building in the future.
We attach great importance to the use of gender-sensitive language, as well as to the message and selection of content conveyed to our male and female audiences. It is worth noting that our efforts are supported by the very heritage of the MNK Czartoryski Museum, which stands as a striking example of how the shaping of culture and the preservation of heritage can be the domain of women – starting with the founder, Izabela Czartoryska – as well as men – one need only mention her grandson, Władysław, whose efforts ensured that the priceless collection returned to Poland and found its way to Kraków. The history of the MNK Czartoryski Museum collection and library is a story upon which it is worth building a reinforcing message about social attitude, sensitivity and initiative, independent of gender.
As a public institution, the National Museum in Kraków is obliged to ensure accessibility by applying universal design principles to new solutions and implementing reasonable improvements to remove existing barriers. The renovation project for the MNK Czartoryski Museum incorporates solutions aimed at ensuring the fullest possible architectural, digital and information and communication accessibility.
Both the corridors and staircases designed in the renovated MNK Czartoryski Museum will be barrier-free and will allow, amongst others, wheelchair users, people using crutches, walking sticks and other orthopaedic aids, the elderly, as well as those with pushchairs or other mobility difficulties. For those who, for various reasons, will be unable to visit us, we plan to supplement the information and digital resources available via cyfrowe.mnk.pl, zbiory.mnk.pl and the dlibra tools, which will be accessible online (and, naturally, on-site with staff assistance). Our efforts to ensure wide online access to reproductions and descriptions of our collections are not limited to providing the necessary data in machine-readable formats.
The most valuable items from the Library’s collection, which comprises approximately 233,000 items, will be catalogued and provided with additional materials: videos in Polish Sign Language and Easy-to-Read (ETR) texts.
This will expand the possibilities for communicating about the collections to, among others, people with intellectual disabilities, and will also be a convenience for blind people who use text-to-speech software and alternative descriptions. Accessibility in this regard also means enabling communication in a way that suits people with special needs, e.g. via text message or using an online sign language translation service.
Videos and multimedia content relating to the Library’s collections are produced with audio description in mind, as well as in accordance with accessibility and readability principles. This also applies to multimedia presentations, press materials and electronic files. MNK staff members take part in training and follow guidelines, thanks to which we are getting better and better at this!
The reopening of the MNK Czartoryski Museum marks a significant step towards full accessibility and openness at the National Museum. This is a project in which, at every stage, we ensure a careful and sensitive approach to everyone involved. We start with ourselves, so that we are fully prepared to welcome everyone seeking knowledge of the past, a focus on fascinating stories and inspiration within our walls. We are aided in our preparations by guidelines, consultations, manuals, checklists and standards. We strive to constantly expand our knowledge, drawing on the support of specialists in various fields. We devote a great deal of attention to reporting, without which it would be impossible to summarise our progress to date – this is the invisible work that one rarely thinks about on a daily basis, yet it is also a source of pride – which is why you are reading about it today. We hope this will encourage you to follow the further developments in the extension, refurbishment and, finally, the return of the Library.
Total cost of the Project:
56,194,788.50 PLN
Co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund: 37,181,150.41 PLN
#EUFunds #EuropeanFunds
This material has been compiled on the basis of guidelines for the team implementing the project “The MNK Czartoryski Museum – extension and refurbishment of the National Museum branch in Kraków”, drawn up by the MNK Accessibility Section in collaboration with the MNK team (Consultant – Ingrid Szrajer). Project: “The MNK Czartoryski Museum – extension and refurbishment of the National Museum branch in Kraków” is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment Programme 2021–2027, PRIORITY VII: Culture, Area 1: Development of cultural infrastructure (listed and non-listed). Completion date: March 2024 – March 2028.
