Žalec Inter Municipal Central Library

Žalec Inter Municipal Central Library, 2011

The Žalec Municipal Library was established in 1961 and relocated to more adequate premises in 1985, enabling a much wider scope of activities and programmes. In addition to managing lending units in Griže, Liboje, Petrovče, Ponikva, and Šempeter, it runs five branches: Braslovče, Polzela, Prebold, Tabor, and Vransko.

As the region's foremost cultural and information centre, the main library and its dislocated units host exhibitions, book presentations, story-telling hours, library courses for school children, author meetings, lectures, creative workshops, and other educational activities. It strives to reach out to special needs members and elderly residents of the nursing home in Polzela by organising events and providing services. A notable facet of the library is the local collection department, dedicated to maintaining and preserving materials on the life in the region; featured in the considerable collection are books, postcards, manuscripts, photographs, and vedute.

Savinjčani beremo project

Since 2007 the library has run the project for the promotion of reading, a Reading Badge for the adults, under the title Savinjčani beremo (roughly translated as "Residents of Savinjska dolina Read", the residents of the Savinjska dolina region along the Savinja river being know as Savinjčani in Slovenian).

In 2011 the library published the first issue of the newspaper Savinjčani beremo. Written entirely by library staff members, the articles, columns, reading recommmendations, and creative writing contributions in this 8-page publication promote reading culture and encourage the use of libraries for and by all citizens.