AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1994-1998. Budapest (2000)

I. Az OSZK 1994-1998-ban - Az Országos Széchényi Könyvtár kiadványai 1994-1998 - The Activity of the National Széchényi Library in the Years 1994-1998

Activity of the Library Science and Methodology Centre, 1994-1998 While the volume of tasks grew in 1994-1998, the staff of the Centre was reduced by 40.8%. A report on the professional audit of the Centre was completed in November 1994 with the participation of outside experts. This marked the beginning of a process aimed at the creation of a modern new organization adapted to the external and internal conditions. The 1997 Act provides for the creation of the Library Institute but in this period only theoretical preparations and professional debates took place. One of our biggest projects, which we now know is also successful, was the HUSLONET cooperation created with the help of the Mellon Foundation linking the university libraries of Kosice, Miskolc and Debrecen in a computer system. We distributed some 500,000 books as gifts of the Elsevir, Brothers, Sabre and International Book Bank foundations, to university and special libraries, school collections and large public libraries who submitted requests based on an itemized list, We organized and held the 4th World Gathering of Hungarian Librarians, on August 7-10, 1996 in Debrecen. In 1994 we organized New Books, an acquisitions advisory publication into a computer database and since then we also handle the preprint work for the publication, issuing 26 printed numbers a year. This is the most comprehensive book information periodical in Hungary today. In our training activity we placed emphasis on training for book and paper restorers and training in the use of computer systems, as well as training for library assistants. Our further training courses were related to bibliographic description of the sub-documents of periodicals, and methods of dealing with disadvantaged readers. The Library Standardization Office was set up, as well as the ETO Office, both operating in very modest circumstances. The 9th edition of the Library Storage Tables was prepared and sent to libraries ordering copies. During the period concerned close to 100 library technology recommendations were drawn up on questions of library architecture and installations. Our reading service research dealt with the reading habits of Hungarian secondary school students in the neighbouring countries, the reading culture of prospective teachers, the relations between books and the economy, and the social function of libraries. Our research findings were published in the form of articles and books. The Library Science Library is the only library of its kind in Hungary. It is open to users 52 hours a week (58 hours during examination periods). Expansion of the librarys holdings was largely based on exchanges and gifts. Subscriptions to periodicals consumed a great part of our budget. We published the Librarians Pocketbook and the Libraiy Minerva with the financial support of the National Cultural Fund. Our periodical, Library Monitor appears quarterly. Twice a year we issue our Hungarian Library and Information Science Abstract. The Bibliography of Hungarian Library Literature is published four times a year. The MANCI database provides continuous information on Hungarian and international articles. The KALAUZ database covers the service system of Hungarian libraries. The KRONOL (Chronology of Hungarian Library History) covers Hungarian events in library affairs, while the KIKI database serves as a biographical lexicon and who's who of Hungarian librarians. 195