AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1963-1964. Budapest (1966)

I. A könyvtár életéből - Az Országos Széchényi Könyvtár működése 1963—1964-ben - Report on the activity of the National Széchényi Library in 1963—1964

In 1963 and 1964 the quantity of our acquisitions exceeded nearly by 8 per cent that of the year 1962; considering, however, the needs of the open-shelf reference library in the new building we cannot be satisfied with this pace of growth. Although the acquisition of the basic and mostly needed reference books for the future reference libraries has been begun, results worth mentioning have been attained mainly in setting up the catalogue of the works needed. Processing, catalogues The processing of the current material proceeded according to plan and corresponded with the work in 1962. After previous experiments and investigations we began fulfilling one of our most labourabsorbing and urgent tasks, i. e. we began reconstructing the alphabetical official catalogue and the subject catalogue. In the course of proceeding with our work with the latter we encountered more difficulties than expected, consequently the pace of work has been slower than it was planned to be. Readers's Service, Reference Service The number of the readers using the reading rooms corresponds with the number of 1962. There is an increasement in the number of visitors to the Music Division (during the Budapest Musical Weeks several foreign visitors were received) and to the Microfilm Collection. We continued modernizing the central readers' service. By rearrangement we succeeded in placing the subject catalogue near to the reading rooms. Both our central reference service and the collaborators of the special collections helped readers abroad and in Hungary to obtain information to their various questions orally and in writing. The library organized several exhibitions. (As a part of this activity we started a travelling exhibition.) To represent the musical compositions preserved in our collection of rare notes we organized two concerts. The number of visitors to our historic libraries, especially to Keszthely shows a further increasement. (In 1963 and in 1964 92 524 visitors.) Storage and preservation of the holdings Undsr the present conditions the storage of the evergrowing holdings means a constant problem. The construction of a new storage-room has been completed in the eleventh hour and we bought a new building now out of use. The preservation of our holdings became more efficient. Preparations have been made to carry out a general revision of stock besides whole bindings reparations with good results -have been going on in the storage rooms. The production of microfilms for the preservation of the holdings increased as compared to that of 1962. Bibliographical work Our basic bibliographical task is to register the Hungarian book production. The "Hungarian National Bibliography" is published fortnightly and the „Repertory of Hungarian JPeriodicals" monthly. A cumulation of the books published in 1961—62 was issued, and the "Hungarian Bibliography of Bibliographies" contains the 1958—60 years' publications. Volume 4. of „Magyar Könyvészet" (which is the first to be published of the volumes of the retrospective bibliography) registering the publications issued in the period between 1945 .and 1960 was published. The bibliographical activity of our national library included other fields too. It took an active part in the work of Repertoire Internationale des Sources Musicales and of the Asso•ciation Internationale des Bibliothéques Musicales. 32