Domsa Károlyné, Fekete Gézáné, Kovács Mária (szerk.): Gondolatok a könyvtárban / Thoughts in the Library (A MTAK közleményei 30. Budapest, 1992)

An academic library as an integrated information centre: the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences

An academic library a$ an integrated information centre: the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences* György Rózsa Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest The "collective memory " of mankind For the ethnologists of the third millennium the most important item to be preserved of our civilization would be a library. The institution which can tell the most to the future - so said Claude Lévi-Strauss a few years ago. He added that he was referring to the Library of Congress, since this was the largest library. Our profession can confirm this statement unreservedly. In fact, it is the library, more precisely the universal research library, which now embraces not only collections but computer technology and databases, that can tell the most about our world. The Library of Congress can be considered as a natural symbol. However comprehensive and important the collections and services of a library may be, it cannot represent the total mass of information accumulated in the world. In all probability, one large library from each country could jointly constitute the "collective memory" of mankind. Since, generally (though by no means in * Part of an article published in the journal Alexandria, London (1991. 2. pp. 89-99) where the author gives a general impression on the past, the present and future plans of the institution directed by him for the past three decades. „ Gondolatok a könyvtárban " 29