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)
Though fifteen years are not a long period it is enough to radically transform a section of a library or to call attention to a formerly by-passed field such as preservation, conservation and restoration. It is not unusual that fifteen years ago the Academy Library had to start preservation work at the very beginning. For a long time preservation was by-passed in Hungary as well as in the neighbouring countries. Until Hungarian Libraries were able to keep apace with European standards in most fields preservation lagged behind for decades, although the leading institutes of several countries have done valuable research and achieved significant results in their workshops. After the articles in the Magyar Könyvszemle favourably reported on the Sankt-Gallen Conference of Librarians and Archivists 1 which first discussed the problems of manuscript conservation and restoration, no convrete steps were taken until the outbreak of World War I although the necessary means were available. The grave economic depression in Hungary during and after World War I. then the international crisis also affecting Hungary after the short prosperity, evidently prevented action. The situation worsened because Hungarian libraries could hardly finance the first rebinding and, with the exception of one or two priviliged institutes, it was completely forgotten that only hardbound volumes should be put on the shelves for otherwise even books in used or very good condition will deteriorate by the rubbing and friction occurring when books next to them are removed or when they are taken off for cleaning, dusting or vacuuming. Under these circumstances it was unimaginable that any of the large libraries would set up a costly manuscript and book conservation workshop and begin the restoration of valuable collections. The terrible devastation following World War II contributed to these already immense tasks. The situation in the archives was not better. The only attempt was made at the end of the 30s by József FITZ , the director general of the Széchényi Library of the National Museum — also hindered by the serious financial difficulties of our libraries at those times — could not afford to set up an up-to-date workshop, but made provisions for the head of the bookbinding department, Dezső SASVÁRI , to begin the restoration of the damaged manuscripts and worn books in our National Library on a limited scale, and without the proper equipment, after he completed his study 1 ERDÉLYI PÁL : Régi kéziratok tatarozása. (The Restoration of Old Manuscripts). Magyar Könyvszemle 1898. pp. 113 — 123. FEJBRPATAKY László: A sanct-galleni konferencia. (The Sanct-Gallen Conference.) Loc. cit. p. 321—343.
