Savaria - A Vas Megyei Múzeumok Értesítője 32/2. (2009) (Szombathely, 2009)

NAGY Éva: SZOMBATHELY KÖZKÖNYVTÁRÁNAK TÖRTÉNETE 1880 ÉS 1949 KÖZÖTT

SZOMBATHELY KÖZKÖNYVTÁRÁNAK TÖRTÉNETE 1880 ÉS 1949 KÖZÖTT NAGY Éva Berzsenyi Dániel Könyvtár H-9700 Szombathely, Dr. Antall József tér 1., Hungary e-mail: evanagy@bdmk.hu THE HISTORY OF SZOMBATHELY PUBLIC LIBRARY BETWEEN 1 880 AND 1949 The study presents the history of the first public library in Szombathely, from the foundation in 1880 through a series of locations of the service and the maintainers of the public collection during various periods, paying particular attention to the time when it was run under the auspices of the Vas County Museum, under a common administration. The library was opened on 14 February 1880 in the Kámoni Street building of the town's elementary school (now 6 Szily János Street). The stock increased well in the years following the opening, but a solution had to be found for the location. At an extraordinary general assembly of the town on 25 July 1899, Mayor Gyula ÉHEN proposed the establishment of a cultural association together with the construction of a palace of culture which would provide a venue for the museum and library. Both motions were voted through by the general assembly. The town public library came under the administration of the Cultural Association of Vas County and Szombathely town, the inauguration is noted in the minutes of an extraordinary general assembly held on 20 April 1900. The inauguration ceremony for the new museum building, which had been built largely with state aid, was held on 10 October 1908. On the ground floor the library premises open off to the left of the main entrance, including the reading room, library administration and the room housing documents, a total of 166 m

2 equipped with a modern iron framework on two levels. Of the directors working at the head of the library for varying periods of time, the names of Gábor JÁNOSSY, Ede UJVÁRY and Ágoston PÁVEL are worth mentioning. The systématisation of the library stock, the publication of volume catalogues, modern library services such as the introduction of postal and interlibrary loans and the establishment of a reading room and news-room are linked with this final name. The results of his collectionbuilding work are now enjoyed by researchers from the Savaria Museum and the Berzsenyi Dániel Library. The financial situation of the public collection, however, deteriorated continuously from the middle of the 1930s; a desperate attempt to maintain the viability of the institution and to expand its collection can be traced in PAVEL'S correspondence. In 1940, the library moved to the County Hall building from the museum premises, which had become rather confined. From 1 January 1942 the staff were employed and paid by the museum. From this time on, the name of Vas County Museum Library was used officially. After the resignation of Ágoston PÁVEL in 1942, István PALKÓ, Gyula Kocsis and later in 1943 Ervin F. FÁY became head of the collection, and he led the library for a total of six years, though during a period when for various reasons the collection suffered its most serious losses. From his sacrificial work, cleaning up the damage suffered during the war, consolidation of the journal catalogue and the cautious protection of the library stock in the delicate political situation are worthy of the attention of posterity. Between 13-15 April 1949 the library moved back into the museum building where it was impossible to house the collection suitably on an area half the size, visitors could not be received, and less than a year later it had to be moved on to the building at no. 23 Sztálin Street (now Széli Kálmán Street). The almost 40 year relationship between Szombathely town public library and the museum had come to an end. The lives of the two institutions went their separate ways, the library came under the administration of the town and later the county; it is now jointly run and serves both communities.