AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1965-1966. Budapest (1967)

I. A könyvtár életéből - Az Országos Széchényi Könyvtár működése az 1965—1966. években - Report on the activity of the National Széchényi Library in the years 1965—1966

(letters of Lajos Kossuth, Endre Ady, etc.) and the Periodicals Department succeeded in acquiring series of old Hungarian newspapers and periodicals in addition to the museum copies already in its possession. The selection and purchase of the works to be added to the open shelf reference libraries planned to hold 60,000 volumes in the new reading rooms advanced also at a very good pace. Cataloguing and processing works The reorganization of the library's basic catalogues (subject catalogue and alphabetical one) has been going on. The duplication of the alphabetical service catalogue will soonly be finished, the reorganization of the subject catalogue had to be, however, restricted for the time being to the subjects of the social sciences. In this scope the constant observance of the latest changes in the UDC system required also accurate work. In the processing system a three-stage working method could be realized (total, simplified and by groups) and the time of processing reduced to 16—18 days. Storage and preservation of stocks The extreme want of storage space was temporarily bridged by a new supplementary stock of 4,300 shelf running metres. New and efficient orders provide for the security of the stocks and the control of the circulation. It was in 1965 that the total stock revision of the 4,5 million volume holdings was begun. This work means the handling of every unit, their control on basis of the shelf list and precise written reports on the results of the revision. This work requiring a thourough theoretical preparation and numerous staff will be carried out in four years (yearly in two months periods) and by the temporary regrouping of the collaborators of the library. The revision strives for the precise appraisal of the holdings, for the establishment of the lacks, elimination of the mistakes eventually found in the storing system and the indication of the parts where urgent reparation is needed. A further aim is to eliminate the deviations between the actual stock holdings and the catalogues. So far nearly 1,5 million library units have been revised. The increase of efficiency in the bindary work and microfilming has geratly contributed to the preservation of the stock. In 1966 we have had to bind twice as many books as in 1964 and twice as many microfilm reels were prepared as in 1961 (567,161 slides). Considering, however, the damages in the holdings, even these precautions are not enough to fulfill the archival duty of the libraiy. Information and Reade^ Service Although the reading rooms of the library may be small for the present needs and in certain periods the space has been fully utilized, a little improvement can be observed. In the field of the special collections, first of all the old periodicals, a permission to consult the material has been allotted only in case of a scientific degree and all these for improving the facilities for research work. The Information Service renders reference service in oral and written form to requests arriving both from Hungary and abroad. Special attention is payed to the adequate information and bibliographical help of the foreign researchers working in an ever increasing number in our library. In the two years past 21 exhibitions were organized. Due to the growing tourism, our museum libraries in the country are visited by more and more people, first of aH by tourists. The number of visitors in the Helikon Library, Keszthely amounts to 100,000 people. Bibliographical work The bibliographical work of the library includes the current and retrospective registration of the Hungarian book and periodical production. The Hungarian National Bibliography and Repertory of the Hungarian Periodicals are the fortnightly published products of this work. The cumulation covering the year 1964 and vols. 1—2 of the retrospective bibliographical 52