Rózsa György (szerk.): The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1826–1976.

I. Historical outline

HISTORICAL OUTLINE The Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, one of the most important public collections in Hungary, was founded 150 years ago. The central Library and the research library network form the most substantial basis for scientific information in our country. The majority of the holdings — about 2,5 million items — consists of scientific publications; old books and periodicals, as well as most up-to-date publications can be found in them. The Library was the only institution of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences from its foundation (1826) till the reorganization of the Academy (1949). The Library — not unlike the Academy - was established by Hungarian society as a great achievement of the Reform Age. 1826 - 1865 In the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th century almost all the plans and attempts urging on founding societies for the promotion of science, knowledge of our country, cultivation of the Hungarian language realized the necessity of having their own libraries.* The establishing of the Academy of Sciences (3rd November 1825) on Count István Széchenyi's initiative was followed by laying down the foundations of the Library on 17th March 1826. A historian, the first president of the Learned Society, Count József Teleki offered his family library of 30 000 volumes to the Learned Society. In his foundation deed he emphasized that he wanted his family book collection to become the property of the Learned Society and 'a public property to be used by all citizens of the country'. The proper role of the Library was indicated in the foundation deed taking into consideration the existence of the National Széchényi Library and that of the University Library. His aim was not an institution with a narrow scope and limited admission meeting the demands of an exclusive •Mátyás Bél, Péter Bod, Dániel Fischer, Dániel Tersztyánszky, Ádám Kollár, György Bessenyei, Miklós Révai, Sámuel Decsy, György Aranka, László Teleki, István Sándor, István Kultsár, Pál Felsó'büki Nagy and others.