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DEGREES & PROGRAMS

The Prague Summer Seminar

SILS and Charles University in Prague invite you on a journey to the heart of the Czech Republic. The 2010 program will be offered May 23 - June 5, 2010.

International programs are open to all students and professionals, not just students at UNC Chapel Hill. Librarians at all stages of their careers have participated and enjoyed these programs in the past and are welcome to participate.

This two-week summer seminar for library science students and professionals features lectures and tours relating to librarianship in the Czech Republic, which lies in the heart of Europe, neighboring with Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland.

See the libraries and facilities at Central Europe's oldest university, Charles University, which was founded in 1348. Free time will be allotted so travelers may tour the city and Bohemian countryside.

Co-sponsored by Charles University, the seminar is available for academic credit through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The seminar has been offered since 2002. Participants may earn three hours of graduate credit for attending.

"The seminar in Prague was a spectacular addition to my graduate studies. With the group I was able to see libraries and books unavailable to any tourist, or through any other program. The guides were attentive and put together creative and interesting programs and tours for us. We were treated like visiting scholars and colleagues. The Czech Republic itself is a quintessentially beautiful European country and we got to see quite a lot of it. I recommend this program to anyone!"

“The summer seminar in Prague on Libraries and Librarianship was hands-down one of best experiences while at SILS. It was a wonderful opportunity for me to learn across several disciplines and interests in the library science field. This gave me a better vision of the library science field and all that it entails. It raised new interests for me and has pushed me in a different direction that I had originally planned when I first arrived to SILS. Everyone was extremely kind and open to assisting our group with anything we needed while in Prague. I felt like I made very dear friends that I will not hesitate to contact if I ever return to Prague. Also, I was able to see firsthand palace libraries, manuscript collections and special libraries that I would have never had the opportunity to see if it had not been for this program. It was rich in history and information that any budding librarian would love."

"The Prague Seminar has been in existence since 2002, and over that time a wonderful curriculum has been developed and refined to near perfection. Monday – Friday of each of the two weeks we were fully occupied, mostly with field trips within and beyond Prague, and also with lectures at Charles University. A factor that greatly enhanced the Seminar is that we always had with us at least half a dozen CZ students and faculty from the University’s library science program. We enjoyed their company immensely and of course get totally spoiled with our own personal guides and translators."

"Participating for two weeks in the Prague Seminar was a fabulous experience on all levels: professional, cultural, tourist, and interpersonal."

—past Prague participants

Activities

The series of presentations is supplemented by

For an example of a past schedule (this year's program will not be exactly the same and is subject to change), please see this sample schedule [PDF].

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Cost & registration

The registration fee for participants covers housing, instruction and a few meals. Most meals and airfare to and from the seminar are not included.

Cost: The price for this seminar is:

If you intend to take this course for credit, the UNC Cashier's Office will bill you separately for approximately $250.

A guest is defined as someone who accompanies you on the trip (usually a spouse) but does not participate in any of the instructional sessions and most tours. Room and board is included in the guest registration fee.

Payment: Acceptable forms of payment include credit card (Visa or Mastercard only) and check. Full payment at the time of registration is required to reserve your spot.

Cancellation policy: A monetary penalty will be charged to those cancelling their registrations.

• Cancellation requests received on or before March 1: $50 cancellation fee.
• Requests received March 2 – March 31: 30% penalty.
• Requests received April 1 – May 15: 60% penalty.
• Requests received after May 15: no refund.

To register please fill in the online form here.

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Accommodations

Accomodations are in the City Centre Hotel, located in the heart of the city, only a few minutes walk from Prague's main boulevard, Wenceslas Square, and the Old Town.

The hotel is located across from the metro station at Nam Republiky and very close to a number of restaurants and stores.

SILS will take care of lodging arrangements. Students do not need to make separate reservations unless they want arrive early or stay in Prague before or after the seminar.

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Academic credit

The seminar is available for 3.0 hours of graduate credit from SILS. Participants are asked to attend all class sessions and complete a research paper after the seminar ends. Participants determine the topic of their papers in consultation with the academic advisor.

Participants see firsthand how the democratization of the Czech Republic, formerly a communist state, has affected the accessibility of information, in both print and electronic forms.

Please indicate your wish to enroll for credit on your registration form. The UNC at Chapel Hill Cashier's Office will bill you approximately $250. Contact the SILS program coordinator if your institution requires further information about the course.

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