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

The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences 9. Staff of the library were themselves from the beginning scholars in various disciplines, for example philology and archaeology. This activity developed widely, especially during the last three decades, creating a role for the library as a research workshop. To encourage and promote research activity, the LHAS allows one so-called "creative day" per week for 25-30 of its staff. In the last five years staff have produced about 320 books and articles. 10. After the reorganization of the academy in 1949, a significant network of research institutes was established. The LHAS is responsible for the coordination and management of the libraries of these institutes. This activity covers expert advice, certain types of teaching and training, such as computerization, and the automation of library processes. 11. The final feature of the LHAS to be mentioned is that it integrates basic information functions. In addition to traditional library functions, the LHAS took on archival functions at an early stage, complemented by certain historical collections (such as literary relics and works of art). These historical functions are supplemented and completed by the introduction of specialized information services in the 1980s. Functions, collections and services Following the reorganization of the academy in 1949, when it became the premier research forum of the country and established its own research institutes, its own functions and collections were also transformed. A network of research institute libraries came into being. (For statistics of total holdings see Appendix.) The LHAS holds manuscripts by outstanding personalities and classics of Hungarian history and literature, foreign collections of great value such as the Goethe collection, other scientific and literary manuscripts and correspondence, and also (e.g.) the collection of old and rare books. The world famous Oriental collection contains outstanding documents of art history and sources of text, for example the Tibetan collection, the correspondence of the distinguished Islamic researcher, Ignác Goldziher, Aurél Stein's Indian collection, the Hebraic collection of Kauf• • 8 mann, and Mongolian and Turkish manuscripts. Taking into account numbers, subject and language, the LHAS's basic research collections are, together with the institute's library collections, the most diversified and significant in Hungary. They represent over 3,5 million bibliographic units. More than half of the research periodicals to be found in Hungary are available through the academy network. Gondolatok a könyvtárban " 33