Over the course of time, the Skala Bartizal Library at the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has accumulated a large number of duplicate books and periodicals that were published in the United States by a variety of Czech and Slovak American publishers and organizations.  It has always been their intent to donate these duplicate items to libraries that already collect such items in order to fill gaps in their collections.  An inquiry nearly five years ago by Amb. Jaroslav Olša, Jr., then-Czech Consul General in Los Angeles, about sending the duplicate Czech-American materials to research libraries in the Czech Republic, was a perfect opportunity to get this process started. After intensive preparations, this effort finally came to fruition when Jaroslav Olša, Jr. visited the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library in late January. Jointly with David Muhlena, Chief Librarian, Jaroslav Olša, Jr. pored through and selected more than 1,000 items, including 100 titles not held by any library in the Czech Republic. In turn, the NCSML received more than 70 recently published books in English that are not widely held by libraries in the United States.

Informal handover ceremony was done in presence with Cecilia Rokusek, President of NCSML, the books are to be transported to the Czech Republic via Czech Consulate General in Chicago courtesy of American Friends of the Czech Republic, who are the main partner in the project to save the Czech-American past and its publications.