Domsa Károlyné, Fekete Gézáné, Kovács Mária (szerk.): Gondolatok a könyvtárban / Thoughts in the Library (A MTAK közleményei 30. Budapest, 1992)

KÖNYVTÁR ÉS KORSZERŰSÉG – LIBRARY AND MODERNITY

Social science research and information needs nity increased internaíionalisation of science is envisaged while initiatives are unfolded in the fields of scientific information, documentation and library in order to support international scientific cooperation and exchange. To a certain extent this internationalisation of science goes hand in hand with the growing awareness of mutual and synergic dependence. It is, however, by no means just an epiphenomenon to the European integration process. It is quite evident that science (and the arts) are alsó initiators of change. They actively contribute to the making of a new Europe. Now that science (and the arts) in the former communist countries are no longer under severe ideological censorship and consequently ffee to contribute to shaping the continent and helping solve its problems and alleviate its plight, it is obvious that the internationalisation of science and its institutions should not be restricted to the EC member states. A larger scientific potential can be further developed and tapped to the benefit of whole Europe. Building-up a scientific community of a wider than Western European scope requires explicit policies concerning pan-European research and information exchange. Although this liber amicorum is dedicated to a man with a wide and sound international perspective, an extensive discussion of such policies lies somewhat beyond the scope of this contribution. It is, however, evident that the social sciences and social science information and documentation, which have been his concem throughout his career, have an important role to play in the making of 21st century Europe. Increased internationalisation of the social sciences is crucial to the development of the continent and the international study of history is among the first intellectual endeavours to be undertaken. The roots of the future are to be found in the past. But history, alsó recent history, may not be what has really happened. In fact, it is always an intellectual "reconstruction" of the past by selecting and evaluating persons and events and arranging them into patterns of causality and consequence. Such "reconstruction" should be as informed as possible. Analysis and dialogue between insiders and outsiders are indispensable to achieve the highest possible degree of intersubjectivity as to what has happened and what should be, what course liberalisation and democracy should take. Sociopolitical and economic development, cultural and demographic change, the pluriethnic society and multilingual commünication are among the explicit concerns of the social sciences. I will not go into the present social science state of the art with regard to these and óther relevant topics. Instead, I will limit myself to a discussion of somé aspects of international, i. c. European social science research and information and make a plea for the support of an already existing panEuropean institution of coordination of social science research, information and documentation. Gondolatok a könyvtárban " 173