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

III. International Exchange Relations of the Academy

the Library exchanged with the Academy's „Acta" of six kinds. These Acta contained articles in Russian, English, French and German. A sudden development took place in 1950, on the occasion of the reorganization of the Academy, which organized the regular publication of scientific works and — in addition — began the publication of new Acta, This enabled the Library to enlarge the scope of its exchanges and raise their level. By the end of 1950 exchange relations were established with 480 foreign institutions, and by 1957 this number was trebled. Nowadays exchange activities involve more than 1700 institutions of 80 states (Fig. 53). At present 40 percent of the Library's accessions of books and 80 percent of the periodicals arc obtained by exchange. With the reorganization of the Academy the Library was given the task of sending the achievements of Hungarian scientific research work to learned societies abroad in the form of regular exchange. This is essential, because our publications in Hungarian are only slightly read abroad, on account of difficulties due to the language. Our research workers on the other hand, can become acquainted with the advances and methods of scientific work performed in all parts of the world through the material received. Thus the Library has to keep an eye both on the needs of the Academy, and on its principles relating to acquisitions. At the same time it has to develop its international relations with libraries on a large scale, apart from exchanges, and efforts must be made to aid the economically underdeveloped countries with specialist literature. The main purposes of the Library's exchange activity are: (1) performing the exchange of the Academy's publications (Acta and books published by the Academy) by bilateral agreement ; (2) to carry out the tasks resulting from the cultural exchanges assured by intergovernmental and inter-academic agreements with the friendly nations. Beside this it coordinates the exchange activities of the institutional library system of the Academy, and performs — hy special agreements — the exchange of non-academic scient ific publications for its partners abroad. New tasks required new methods. Besides the exchange of periodicals, that of the books has also been developed since 1954. Supplying the large foreign libraries with informations on books to come has also been organized. 26