Rózsa, George: Some Considerations of the Role of Scientific Libraries in the Age of Scientific and Technical Revolution. An Essay and Approach to the Problem (A MTAK kiadványai 50. Budapest, 1970)

8 bibliographical and documentary publications wero registered in 1963, and 55 000 translations of scientific and technical publications were reported, totalling 9(50 000 pages. At the end of 1963, 4400 persons were employed by scientific and technical libraries, of whom 3700 were engaged in professional activities. The distribution of libraries by supporting agencies is as follows: company and office libraries 45%; higher education 42%; research and designing institutes 10%. The average number of library units held by the latter type of libraries was 11 000 while the average annual budget allocation for acquisitions to research libraries was 100 000 Ft, as compared to 47 000 in other libraries. 64% of the total holdings of scientific and special libraries belonged to scientific libraries of a national character. And what is the size of research network to be supplied with information by the scientific and special libraries? In Hungary there are some 900 scientific institutions, of which 131 are research institutes proper. In 1963, 2,25% of the national income was spent on research and development, totalling 3650 million forints. Of this sum research expenditures and investments amounted to 2365 millions. The number of those engaged in scientific institutions was well over 38 000. Without giving any detailed explanation and comparison, which would take a separate statistical study, here are some further figures for Hungarian research institutes, scientific and special libraries, as well as related services in order to give an idea of thenorder of magnitude. Number of institutions Personnel Expenditure (including technological development and investments) Research projects, library holdings and services Research 900 (of which 131 are research institutes) 38 000 3650 million Fts (of which 2365 million forints are on research) 8 to 10 thousands

2 Scientific and special libraries 1600 (of which 160 are associated with research or designing institutes) 4400 76 million Fts (for acquisition only, without maintenance costs, personnel and other expenditures) 27 million units. Lending: 8 to 10 millions. Bibliographical and documentary publications: 2200 with 380 000 items processed. Translations : 55 000 (960 000 pages) To give an overall picture, it should be added that the number of the gainfully employed population was 4,5 millions of which 3,3% held a university diploma or the equivalent, (11,9% of the population employed in the socialist sector had secondary school certificates or were graduates from higher educational institutions as of October 1, 1963). The number of scientists and scholars who had obtained higher degrees awarded by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences was 2660. Of these 360 were holders of the degree of "doctor scientiarum": and 2300 had possed the degree of "candidatus of scientiarum" As of September 1, 1964, 1600 "aspirants" (including foreign aspirants) were preparing to obtain the latter degree. To be sure, these data need further specification and correction, but this is unnecessary here; nor is it necessary to indicate certain proportions and regularities or make international comparisons it would take further investigations, analyses, etc. since they are only meant factually to support the 2 In reality, the number of research works was less than that, however fragmented the projects were.