AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1963-1964. Budapest (1966)

IV. Könyvtár- és művelődéstörténeti tanulmányok. - Ferenczy Endréné: Az Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Olvasószolgálatának története 1802—1919 - The history of the National Széchényi Library's Readers Service (1802—1919)

-were naturally first of all interested in the Hungarica material. Besides fulfilling the requirements for the readers' service, it performed its duty also in the field of lending, although this .activity was restricted in view of the character of the national library. After the war, at the time of Hungarian Council Republic in 1919, the political and economic conditions had undergone a complete change and as a consequence of this it naturally had an influence on the composition of the readers and on the ideas about a national library's function. The planned establishing and modernizing of the public library network would ..have resulted in emphasizing the museum character of the national library. Ihe policy of national education of the Council Republic wished to ensure a high standard of the scientific research work, preserving and even more, underlining the character of the Széchényi Library. The implementation of this important programme was unfortunately prevented by the defeat •of the Council Republic. The period of the ensuing 25 years in the history of the library was full of difficulties, in the first part of which it had hardly any success, and in the last ten years when a large-scale and modern library work could have been developed, the devastations of the Second World War began. This period of time will be presented in a separate study. 234