C. Csapodi, E. Moravek et al.(szerk.): The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1826–1961.

I. The History and Tasks of the Library of the Academy of Sciences

work stopped. At the turn of 1944—1945 a fire broke out in the palace but it was extinguished. Devastated premises, burst open by shooting, and a dead book collection in the stack-rooms without windows stood in the place of a living library at the liberation of the country. From 1945 to 1948 order was gradually restored in the devastated stack-rooms. The removed units were brought back by degrees. The stocks of the Library suffered relatively slight damage. With the help of the Government the damaged reading room was restored. This, together with the periodicals reading room adjacent to it, obtained fine up-to-date equipment. Plans were drawn up for accomodating the department of manuscripts and ancient books as well as the Oriental department. In order to ensure its further development, the Library had to solve three main tasks: to overcome its isolation from the national library system, to increase book acquisitions from abroad, to develop its technical equipment. The departments of the Library were organized for up-to-date library work in 1948. Modernization was soon making itself felt in every domain of library life. In 1948 the stocks were augmented by 7000 works of which purchases from abroad accounted for 1200 volumes. The regular arrival of 530 foreign and 170 Hungarian periodicals indicated the future trend of growth. The fact, that the reading-room was open all day, also complied with the new requirements. Thus the year 1949 was a herald, an introductory period of the Library's large-scale development. Pursuant to the Act XX VII of 1949 on the reorganization of the Academy, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences became the supreme scientific body of the Hungarian People's Republic and the leading organization of Hungarian scientific life. The State ensures the financial funds required for performing these tasks. The reborn Academy gradually developed its network of institutes in which the Library, as the Academy's oldest institute, occupied its worthy place. 12