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The paper seeks to answer the question which activities in the narrower areas of library work, such as acquisitions and cataloguing, can serve the goals of sustainability. Within the selected workflows, it illustrates possible implementation through examples taken from the practice of the ELTE University Library and Archives. The article is an extended, edited version of the presentation given at the Bibliographic Section of the Annual Conference of the Association of Hungarian Librarians held in Kaposvár in July 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to provide a bibliographic description of the works published in the series The Library of the Hungarian Geographical Society, based on contemporary library sources. The study on the history of publication of the series will eventually follow as a separate paper in which I shall present the cooperation between the Hungarian Geographical Society and its publishers, R. Lampel (F. Wodianer and Sons) and Franklin-Társulat at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the effects of the first wave of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and infodemic on the library field, based on library literature and news published during the pandemic. In addition to describing the outbreak and spread of the epidemic and its direct library-related impact in detail, the paper presents the information activities of the Hungarian Library Institute, and the trends of library services during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the basic tasks of reopening libraries. Government measures are summarized, so as to comprehensively understand and analyze the impact of these completely unexpected tasks incumbent on libraries. Digital library services, built over the years, have recently undergone a major ordeal, with most events being organized in cyberspace. Long before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing the challenges of fake news was already considered a global task by libraries. Their tools include user training, objective information, and the publication of credible sources. The effects of the economic crisis caused by the epidemic are also detrimental to libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020, the ELTE University Library Service (ULS) became the first library in Hungary which was awarded the EFQM "Commitment to Excellence" certificate. This paper briefly describes the organization of EFQM, the quality assessment model and the recognition system developed. The authors present the application of ULS, describe the issues and results of self-assessment, and summarize the objectives and findings of the three development projects implemented under the application. The article briefly describes the most important changes to the EFQM Model 2020, which was introduced from 2021 and was significantly revised in terms of both content and design. With the introduction of the new model, the recognition system has also been renewed, which has had an impact on the development of the National Excellence Award and the National Excellence Recognition Scheme, which was relaunched in 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the first measures of János Szily (1735–1799), the first bishop of the Diocese of Szombathely, was to open a library. Initially, István Schönvisner (1738–1818), the custos of the University Library of Pest assisted him to compile the library’s fund. In the present paper, I would like to explain a detail from the process of the library’s foundation, which is specifically related to Schönvisner. After describing the process of handling the banned books from the monastic orders’ libraries dissolved by Emperor Joseph II, an attempt to present the thematic distribution of the works acquired by Schönvisner will be made. I aim to elaborate the copies of the section Historici Profani. Based on the examination of their provenance, identification of the dissolved monastic libraries, from which the books of the new library originated, will be offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper summarizes the achievements and lessons of the My library programme implemented within the Museum and library developments for all project, supported by the European Union, and carried out in the period February 1, 2017 through January 31, 2020. The author – professional leader of the project – describes the objectives related to the development of library services supporting learning, the main activities and their results. He presents the wide-ranging cooperation of the actors of the library system to achieve project goals, partnership levels, provides a detailed overview of how the 40-member national library consulting network was established, and describes its activities. The study provides an insight into the work of professional workshops operated in the framework of methodological developments; into the national, representative research initiatives on reading and library use in various phases of the project; and into other professional surveys conducted using the DigComp framework. Within the project, 90 model programmes supporting learning were also prepared for libraries. The author presents the methods used during the design of the model programmes, related professional trainings, events, and methodological publications. The study places special emphasis on the presentation of monitoring activity to follow up, among others, on the implementation of model programmes. The review of this unprecedented national project in the Hungarian library system ends with a description of communication activity and the promotion campaign of libraries and reading which was an important part of the programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The personal library of János Honti (1910-1945), Hungarian folklorist and folktale researcher, was catalogued in 2015, at the Library and Information Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. The collection contains about 40 volumes signed by their authors, most of whom were members of the Stemma, the intellectual circle founded by the classical philologist Karl Kerényi. This paper presents the signed copies of the Honti-collection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first Hungarian city monograph, the Antiquitatum et Historiae Sabariensis… by István Schönvisner was published in 1791, commissioned by János Szily, the first bishop of Szombathely. Their correspondence can be found in the Library of the Diocese of Szombathely, from which we can get aquinted with the process of the creation, throught about sixty letters: for example the selection of the resources, the illustration, or the other professionals involved in the publication of the book. In this paper I seek to figure out a few particular essential phases of the nearly five years of work, the problems appeared during this time, based on their correspondence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the development of socially inclusive library services in the London Borough of Croydon. Croydon Council is committed to ensuring that all citizens are able to take advantage of the library service and for those with particular needs, special provision is made to help them to develop their skills. The range of these services will be reviewed in this paper and examples described the techniques and the impact of social inclusion work within Croydon libraries. The three case studies are delivering library services to pre-school children, black and minority ethnic housebound people and to adults with low literacy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The review article deals with school librarianship, the position and problems of school libraries in Great Britain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Germany, based on abstracts from the period 2006 through 2013 published in the From foreign library and information science journals (Abstracts) section of Könyvtári Figyelő. (The paper was originally read at the 2013 Autumn Conference of Librarian-Teachers; this is an edited version complemented with cited and recommended literature.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Library of HAS was known as a long-established, somewhat conservative institution possessing a prestigious collection. In recent years, the library has been working to convert and expand services in accordance with the requirements of the digital age while preserving its traditional values. The paper presents the new, comfortable features of the online catalogue, the electronic databases, EOD services, changes in interlibrary loan, and reports on novelties introduced in user education and electronic information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Library of HAS was known as a long-established, somewhat conservative institution possessing a prestigious collection. In recent years, the library has been working to convert and expand services in accordance with the requirements of the digital age while preserving its traditional values. The paper presents the new, comfortable features of the online catalogue, the electronic databases, EOD services, changes in interlibrary loan, and reports on novelties introduced in user education and electronic information services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses mobile library services in Hungary based on statistical data, a questionnaire survey and interviews with library managers maintaining such services. The staff of the Hungarian Library Institute investigated during the related research a) the utilisation of the four existing mobile library services (supplying 87 communities), b) the demographics of users, c) whether the service brings economic return, d) the forms how these services are utilised. Utilisation was understood not only in terms of financial returns, but also as indirect benefits underlying service provision. In some places, the services represented a value for the entire municipality. Utilisation can be measured in many ways and by several methods, however, results can never be exact. It also had to be considered during the relevant survey that the mobile libraries (the buses) have a different technological infrastructure, and as a result, can offer different services. During the analysis every service factor was investigated, and the conclusions were drawn from combined results. The mobile libraries operating in the towns Encs, Szendrő, Pécs and Cegléd are definitely serving the most deprived and disadvantaged population whose social development and integration to work constitute an important economic issue. In an economic sense, different findings were achieved depending on the principle of measurement, but, as regards the utilisation of services, 97% of the interviewees considered that mobile libraries have improved the quality of library supply in the relevant municipality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hungarian National Shared Catalogue (MOKKA) is a database with three major tasks to fulfil. When it was launched its main mission was to provide a common pool of authentic bibliographic records for libraries to share. Since then, it has also become a valuable online tool for the general public when they try to locate books, audiovisual material, printed music and other online documents in Hungarian libraries. It contains the catalogue records of the Hungarian Electronic Library as well. Thirdly, as a result of a development to be implemented in the near future, MOKKA will become the bibliographic foundation of the National Document Delivery System replacing its present bibliographic database. This article summarizes how the relatively simple functional model of the database is supplemented with a duplicate check and conversion processes of data format, character sets, and often library specific transformations of local conventions to ensure a more or less coherent database. Another aim of the paper is to enhance the co-operation between the databases of MOKKA and its 31 contributing libraries by pinpointing the elements of submitted records that are especially important for the workings of the central mechanism and thus for the quality of the MOKKA database. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The president of the European Bureau of Library, Information and Documentation Associations initiated a discussion on the creation of a common library policy in Europe at the conference of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation in Vienna (May 30, 2008). The European library landscape is heterogeneous, only the two-thirds of the 27 EU-countries have legislation governing the library sector. A common policy guideline was published by EBLIDA and the Council of Europe in 2000, but it has not proved to be very effective. It would be important to concentrate on compiling a White Paper that describes the role of libraries in Europe and recommends the member states to act on behalf of the libraries.To provide relevant information about European library issues the EBLIDA Executive Committee has decided to establish a Knowledge and Information Centre (KIC) to collect, mediate and disseminate information about the library, information and documentation sector in Europe. The president describes the aims of KIC, and characterises the tasks of five expert groups (on information law, digitization and online access, life-long learning and education, culture and information society, professional education). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the political and economic changes of the 1990s, the emerging democratic system in Hungary raised a growing interest in local government issues from the part of citizens. People are interested in all decisions concerning their region, their municipality or community, as these decisions have a major effect on their life and opportunities. Local governments have chosen libraries to make accessible for citizens the orders and decrees affecting the life of their communities. On the one hand, this is a great new responsibility showing the importance of libraries in providing information related to local matters. On the other hand, this type of rapidly growing local collection can only be used and researched effectively if it is appropriately catalogued. The paper deals with various issues related to providing local government information, including a few good practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Máté Kovács, professor of library sciences and a leading figure of Hungarian library policy, a commemoration was held at the Department of Library and Information Sciences of the Eötvös Loránd University. The current paper, focusing on the professional activities of Máté Kovács between 1943 and 1949 was presented at this event. Máté Kovács was the head of the National Council of Public Education, then after the termination of the council, he started to work for the Ministry of Education and Religion in 1945. He elaborated the draft programme of the modernisation of the Hungarian public educational system, The organisation of primary schools at a national scale was implemented under his direction. As a political state secretary, he was confronted with all the issues that emerged within the scope of the ministry, but his approach to developments was far more than administrative. In the field of higher education, he supported the idea of training young people to become highly educated intellectuals rather than one-sided professionals. His endeavours in library policy were directed at the re-organisation of public libraries and the setting up of district libraries. He raised the possibility of libraries with twofold function, serving as the school library and the local public library for the same population. He later became the Director of the Library of the University of Debrecen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is an introduction to the republishing of „Let's create newspaper libraries", an article by József Szinnyei first published in the Hungarian journal „Homeland" (A Hon) in 1880. The concept of public libraries started to spread widely in Hungary in the 1880s. This was the time when the first library journals were launched and the need for journal and newspaper reading rooms emerged. In 1884, a special collection devoted to journals was created within the National Museum and this is where József Szinnyei started journal and newspaper cataloguing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1999, the Central European University Library had been looking for a second generation integrated library system that would be more than a common database, that would be able to do more than just computerise manual or paper-based routines, and would enable library users to reach beyond the local information and knowledge base. After thorough searching and an invitation to tender, the Central European University Library purchased the Millennium integrated library system from Innovative Interfaces Inc. and started to use it in 2002. Millennium is a Web- and Java-based automated library system, and working with it is a unique experience in Hungary. The study is about Millennium and its adaptation to the needs of the Central European University Library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001 the plans of a Hungarian-Swedish-Hungarian comparative study were elaborated by the participating researchers: Ragnar Audunson (University College, Oslo), Joachim Hansson (Boras University College, Göteborg) and Attila Nagy (Library Institute, Budapest). The main issue of the comparative study was: Can libraries help the creation of viable local communities in metropolitan cities, and through this will these communities participate more actively in public matters? In phase one of the research (2002) the role of public libraries in the formation of local communities was surveyed by means of questionnaires and interviews. In the coming stages of the survey comparative analysis and proposals will follow. Industrial areas (Sandakar Turshow in Norway, Gamlestaden in Sweden, and Angyalföld in Hungary) of the three cities (Göteborg, Oslo, Budapest) similar in character and population were selected as the spot of the study. In the present paper the comparison and analysis of Norwegian and Hungarian data can be read. (Swedish data are not available yet.) In the preparatory phase of the research first unstructured interviews were made with the representatives of the local government, teachers, and the local gipsy minority, then a randomly selected 400-member sample was surveyed in connection with their library use. Since expectations related to public libraries have changed considerably during the recent years, librarians had to reconsider how to serve their users in the future. They can rely on the results of such surveys. Should they be passive information providers, or should they assume a more active role in education, management, and mediating the cultural heritage? Data suggest that as compared to Norwegian people, Hungarians have a greater democracy deficiency. Acquiring information about local events still poses problems to Hungarian library users, and so does forming their opinion. Their majority expect and find the help offered by the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]