A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve: Studia Historica 2. (Szeged, 1999)

JOBBÁNÉ SZABÓ Enikő: Adalékok a Szeged és Szeged környéki olvasókörökhöz (1867-1944). A körökről a könyvtár-alapítások tükrében

ENIKŐ SZABÓ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE READING CLUBS OF SZEGED AND ITS SURROUNDING REGION 1867-1944 In the course of my studies and my work, I look back into the past with a great deal of interest. Learning about the life of our grandfathers and greatgrandfathers has been an important part of my life. Learning about the traditions of our ancestors, their material culture and social habit is a task of great significance. Unfortunately, there are fewer number of people who are interested in the collection of these information . The collection and possession of knowledge has always been an important weapon and still continues to be even today. Books and journals serve as the ideal tools for doing these tasks. For the period in question, the newspaper was able to provide the means especially, however, there were also books, other periodicals, daily papers and weekly papers published as well. The Szeged region was mainly made up of a network of settlements which consisted of farms and smaller villages. The people of this region made their living from the cultivation of land and animal husbandry. However, they felt the need to learn about the new and the different which may have affected their everyday life and work. In addition, they wanted to spend their pastime doing various forms of entertainment and reading. Leisure activities and recreation took place mainly in various clubs. For the adult population in many of the places, the reading club provided the only location for the development of the mind, as well as entertainment. In this study, I talk about these in greater detail. These clubs made possible self- learning, the acquisition of knowledge and socializing. However, they also allowed the population to become organized and in several instances, the political leadership was intimidated by this possibility. Through this study, I attempt to portray the opportunities offered by the reading clubs of this era through the description of different types of libraries, the directed and the less suggestive literary choices that were available. Archival materials provided the greatest quantity of help during my research. However, I found very few people who could provide me with reliable first hand information concerning the life and activities of the clubs. In the region under study, the types of libraries and their operational requirements were similar, however, they possessed the typical characteristics of the locality. In many instances, the members of the clubs assembled into groups according to wealth or occupation. The goal, however, was the same everywhere: to form a community or a social group where people could enjoy themselves, and where they could receive help and occasionally support. In a world where science was developing at a quick pace, these small clubs (sometimes having only 10-20 members) were of minor significance. However, the newspaper, books and later the radio and telephone meant everything to the folk living on the farms and villages. Although this research is not complete, I hope to broaden it over time. It would be important to pay more attention to the values discussed above, due to the passing of time and the death of people who have first hand knowledge concerning the topic in question.