Csapodi, Csaba: Conservation of the Manuscript and Old Book Collections at the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Methods and Results. 1949–1964 (A MTAK kiadványai 44. Budapest, 1965)

tion and conservation every year for the last one and a half decades. In 1958 the Library organized its own bookbinding department, an important step for since that time our bookbinders learned to make excellent portfolios and storage boxes used primarily for conserving the manuscripts. Here they make the elegant, fine halfcloth bindings of Hungarian books from the first half of the 19th century, the last period of the old book collection. Conservation was formerly undertaken by an extensive organization but in the last three years it has been the work of one expert, Gy. VÖRÖS, A member of the staff. We plan to set up our own conservation workshop in the new building. The sums appropriated for the conservation of the manuscripts and old books, and the work completed are as follows: Year No. of Am't iu Forints No. of Incunabula No. of Old No. of Books Amt in Forints Total Library's Bookbinder, Manuscripts for the Manuscripts No. of Incunabula Hungarian Books from 15011551 for Books in Forints Boxes, Port1 folios Bindings 1951 1079 50.000 50.000 1952 770 24.000 — — — — 24.000 — — 1953 61 10.000 — 381 — 16.000 26.000 — — 1954 131 11.700 27 46 — 12.300 24.000 • i — — 1955 203 16.000 136 52 — 50.000 66.000 — — 1956 340 16.000 96 19 13 50.000 66.000 1 — — 1957 90 9.200 28 38 29 38.000 47.200 i — — 1958 19 2.000 30 27 42 36.600 38.600 1 72 — 1959 11 1.000 18 40 55 36.400 37.400 145 — 1960 — — 9 7 28 18.000 18.000 j 167 60 1961 — _ 8 5 15 13.500 13.500 90 113 1962 2 500 9 29 82 29.500 30.000 123 118 1963 189 3.800 3 22 48 26.200 30.000 61 24 1964 45.000 Totals 2895 144,200 364 ' 666 312 326,500 470,700 658 315 Here let us mention that as part of the appropriation we received 350 boxes and portfolios of which 220 boxes were used for storing manuscripts which were released by the elimination of the former large-size card catalogue of the Library. Principles and Goals Our manuscript and book conservation programme was guided by three main principles: 1. We must be led by scientific goals and those of museums, not only bibliophilie ones. Thus, although we were tempted, we did not try to bleach yellowed, water-stained sheets, to replace the ornamentation on the destroyed sections of the binding. The price of the total bleaching of one book is enough to put several volumes in order, and the cost of a single plate suitable for repairing the ornamentation on the binding is enough to conserve a whole volume. Our purpose is not to eliminate the minor damage caused by natural aging, and the ravages of time, by some sextremely expensive cosmetic 10