Central Food Library (CFL) was established in 1958 as a part of the Research Institute of Food Industry. Since 1993 it has been a part of the Institute of Agricultural and Food Information, within the frame of the Ministry of Agriculture. CFL holds some 60,000 library units related to food sciences and human nutrition.

CFL maintains active contacts with 7 libraries of the Central/Eastern Roundtable countries, and with 52 other partners what together amounts to 17 countries. 120 journal titles were exchanged and 99 books received in 1998. Personal contacts within the frame of the Roundtables have been, as a means of exchanging of experiences, of utmost importance.

Agricultural libraries and information infrastructure in the Czech Republic were presented at the previous Roundtables. Lately, the situation has not changed. An intranet-based agricultural library network is being planned. Automating of holdings and better Internet connections are indispensable to this end. However, some agricultural libraries are not ready as yet. Some requirements remain to be met in the near future.

In addition to document loan, a better coordinated journal subscription and book purchase policy can be incorporated as a feature of the network. Due to sharp increase in prices some journal subscriptions have to be cancelled every year. A consortium was based on the example of cosmetics journals: The users of these journals were asked to subsidy the journals. The proposal was accepted and an agreement was signed. Some of these cosmetics journals are the only copy available in the Czech Republic and are much in use.

Stabilization and development of human resources is a great problem. Professional schools and local employment office have been contacted in order to find library professionals willing to work. This effort has so far not been very successful. Young people prefer employment by private companies which can offer much higher salaries. Some persons that had been sent to the library from the local employment office were quite useless. However, two new library workers were obtained with the help of library colleagues. They have fitted in well with the library what has had good psychological effect. Part-time students also help solving staff problems.

One new computer has been obtained and three old ones upgraded since the sixth Roundtable. The Institute has organized a homepage where also The Central Food Library is presented.

Currently, and in the near future, the Central Food Library and the Central Agricultural and Forestry Library are facing a great task of merging of both libraries with the deadline being set on the March of 2002. At that time the CFL's right of residing in the current building will have expired.

Prior to breaking up of the former Czechoslovakia the agricultural information and respective libraries were subsidized by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and the food information and respective library by the Czech Ministry of Agriculture. The two institutions are located on two different sites, fortunately not far from each other. The agricultural library does not have enough place to include the food part. However, as the current food premises are rent-free, the Library has no intention to move prior to the deadline of March 2002.