Abstract
The article considers several stages of the development of the Czech information system oriented in technical information. The beginnings of technical reporting are appearing with the development of industrial enterprises in 18th and 19th century.
That period is characterized by efforts to introduce some types of technical news which would inform tradesmen about production and products of potential competitors. In the beginning of the 20th century technical literature can be found in technical libraries and in the departments of main industrial companies.
Later in 1944, Technical Information Centre determines the future structure of complex nationwide information system later called VTEI (Scientific, Technical and Economic Information) which is divided into three stages. The first stage is characterized by the tendency towards the centralization of the split information centres, the second one starts by the release of government Decree No. 606/1959 about unified system of libraries and continues by the establishment of the Czechoslovak system ÚVTEI (the Centre of Scientific, Technical and Economic Information), the third stage is characterized by the automatization of information process and by the utilization of foreign database centres together with building up the system of ÚTZ (Central Technical Base).
In 1991 ÚVTEI-ÚTZ transforms into NIS (National Information Centre) which provides services till 1997. After that its competencies are divided among some ministries and state departments.
The period of the 90s is characterized by the development of telecommunications, technical infrastructure and input of computer technology into library systems. New conceptions of informational services are being created as well as new projects concerning the free usage of the Internet.