Gáncsné Nagy Erzsébet: Magyar Könyvtárosok Egyesülete Helyismereti Könyvtárosok Szervezetének története, 1994-2002 (2004)

3. The Local Studies Group of the Association of Hungarian Librarians (HKSZ). - 3.9. Summary.

In appreciation of her work for Hungarian-UK international co-operation, especially in the field of local studies librarian ship, Elizabeth was honoured with the MKE Emlékérem (the bronze medal and certificate of the Association of Hungarian Librarians). This was presented to her in 1998 at the HKSZ Conference at Kiskunhalas by Erik Vajda, the then President of the National Association. A new era has now begun and the future of the Hungarian-UK collaboration is in the hands of new committees within both Groups. 3.9. Summary The HKSZ is about to complete its first ten years. The new committee will have to consider the concerns of its members as these were expressed at the last Conference in Vác 2002. There is disquiet over the proliferation of electronic sources - problems of collection, migration of data, conservation and indexing. As well as this, the new committee must continue to keep the Group focussed while fostering genuine personal connections between the libraries and the Group members. It is true to say that the previous committee leaves a rich heritage for its successors. Not only have the smooth-running professional events been important, but the atmosphere in which they were conducted made much of the difference. Gyula Mándli, the first chairman of the HKSZ, was responsible for this. As the library director in Szob and later in Vác, Gyula always understood the significance of local history studies. He also has a knack of choosing the right associates to assist with his organisation and planning. Finding the right person has been a key element in the last successful years of the Hungarian Group, and names have been mentioned whenever possible. However people may have been overlooked inadvertently, and the author must be excused. We should thank our partner organisation, the Hungarian Bibliographic Section, for its advice and assistance; the staff of the national Association of Hungarian Librarians for their professional, financial and moral support; the Directors and staff of those libraries hosting the HKSZ meetings and Conferences. We should also thank Gyula Gerő, the founder and first editor of Könyvtári Levelező/Lap, who showed us how we could publish and debate our work and ideas through the medium of a professional journal; and Erzsébet Győri and 79