Dr. Péter Balázs: Guide to the archives of Hungary (Budapest, 1976)

(Introduction)

The general archives have about 3 thousand researchers on 25 to 30 thousands of occasions yearly. The number of students from abroad totals 150 to 200 yearly. In justified cases the archives may loan records in order to be used in the research rooms of other archives. The archives issue about 20 thousand copies for private persons to prove labour relation, the length of service, school qualification, etc. All general archives have special scientific libraries, to help the archival staff in the treatment of archival material and their other professional duties and the researchers of the archives in the use of the same. The special scientific library collects works on the theory and praxis of archival works, on the record management of the organs in the competence and collecting interest of the repository, those which promote making the material accessible (arrangement, description, etc.) on the side of the archivist, and its use for those who are doing research, studies on local history and those written on the basis of the archival material, comprehensive works on Hungarian and universal history, and general works of reference (encyclopaedias, dictionaries, almanacs, etc.). The library of the general archives is a member of the archival library network, with a centre in the central library of the Hungarian National Archives. For researchers the volumes of the reference library are accessible in the research room of the archives. In the past three decades also the international connections of the Hungarian archives have been developped. The Archival Board is a member of the International Council of Archives (CIA), its chief and the general director of the Hungarian National Archives take part in the sessions of the Council and in the Round Table Conferences organized by it. Hungarian archivists are active in the work of the special commissions, one of them is the secretary of the microfilm commission and the Bulletin of the commission is edited by the Hungarian National Archives. The Archival Board is in a widespread publication exchange relation with both socialist and capitalist countries. The volume of microfilm exchange abroad is also significant. Partly for the exchange of professional experiences, partly (and mainly) for the listing and the preparation of filming of material in the archives abroad, relevant to Hungary (Hungarica), our archivists make regular travels abroad yearly. The microfilms of the records of Hungarian interest are preserved by the film archives of the Hungarian National Archives, the central register of the discovered documents is kept by the Archival Board.