This is a copy of a letter I sent you also via the standard "snail" mail.
Dear Professor Jeltsch,
The recent floods in the Czech Republic and, particularly, in Prague,
heavily hit the Czech mathematical community. The largest mathematical
library in the country was located in the building of the Faculty of
Mathematics and Physics, Charles University at Karlín, the most damaged part
of Prague. It contained books and journals from all fields of pure and
applied mathematics, statistics, numerical analysis and computer science.
About two thirds of books and journals in the library were heavily damaged
and, despite all efforts, are almost surely lost. Among them were five
thousands of books and monographs from recent decades, almost 400 titles of
journals; there were also thousands of historical books from the last three
centuries, which cannot be bought any more (including, e.g., the first
edition of collected works of Cauchy, Weierstrass and Riemann). Taking into
account that a large part of the country was extensively damaged by the
flood, we must expect that to collect money needed for the reconstruction of
the library will be very difficult. While texts for undergraduate study can
be reprinted, it will be impossible to buy again books needed for graduate
students as well as books and journals for research.
In this difficult situation we address our colleagues abroad with a request
of a help which may be provided in several ways.
A donation of spared copies of books and journals (in particular those from
the list at the faculty web page - see the enclosure) would be an immense
assistance for us. The books and (issues of) journals can be sent directly
to the library of the faculty. We are also negotiating several places abroad
where the publications could be collected and then transported in bulk to
Prague.
We want to ask publishers and libraries for complimentary copies of the lost
publications which have been bought, received in exchange or obtained for
reviewing in the past (e.g. in the Recent Books section of the EMS
Newsletter edited in Prague). The support of the EMS might be very helpful.
Financial contributions would be very much appreciated because they would
allow a targeted renewal of the destroyed library resources.
Gifts of books or money contributions are free of tax and customs in our
country in case the faculty receives a letter from the donator declaring
that the gift was sent to help the library of the faculty.
I take the liberty to ask you to disseminate the information among the
members of the EMS and to use your authority to support our request at
publishers and institutions. A notice with contacts and links at the web
page of the EMS would be very hepful. Addresses and contacts are listed in
the enclosure.
Thank you very much in advance for your understanding and assistance.
With best regards,
Jiri Rakosnik
Mathematical Research Section of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists
Contact persons:
Daniel Hlubinka, hlubinka@karlin.mff.cuni.cz
Jiri Rakosnik, rakosnik@math.cas.cz
Jiri Vesely, jvesely@karlin.math.cuni.cz
Money can be sent either by a check payable to Charles University in Praha, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics or by a money transfer to the following account:
CSOB, Prague 1, Na Porici 24
account No. 01256280/0300
Reference: 999
SWIFT: CEKO CZ PP PRA
Relevant web pages: