AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1982-1983. Budapest (1984)

I. Az OSZK 1982-1983-ban - Somkuti Gabriella: Az Országos Széchényi Könyvtár működése 1982—1983-ban - The Activity of the National Széchényi Library in the Years 1982—1983

The annual volumes of "A magyar irodalom és irodalomtudomány bibliográfiája" (Bibliography of Hungarian Literature and Literary Science) are under compilation as a part of our special bibliographical activity (the last volume published being the one for 1979). The series entitled „Magyarországi egyházi gyűjtemények kéziratkatalógusai" (Catalogue of Manuscripts in Hungarian Ecclesiastical Collections) which registers manuscripts from before 1850 collection by collection devoting a whole volume to each is also issued by our library. We furnished some international bibliographical enterprises (RISM, IBHB) with Hungarian data. Readers' and reference services Public relations. Historic libraries Restrictions introduced in 1981 continued to have an unfavourable impact on the library's readers' service. Since about 60% of the holdings had already been moved to the stores of the new building, damage caused by the moving and transportation of the books had to be minimized for protective reasons. Therefore since 1981 the library's services have been available to research workers only. As a result, the number of readers decreased considerably

: in 1982 there were 24,000: in 1983, 23,000 visits paid by registered users, as opposed to the yearly average of 60,000 in the 70s. (The number of registered users was 2,374 in 1982, and 2,131 in 1983.) Inevitably, limited possibilities for in-library use led to an increase in the number of reference questions answered in letters or on the phone, and in the number of photoand microfilm copies ordered. The number of Hungarian and foreign visitors was 588 and 338, respectively. In recent years our public relations have been strengthened mainly indirectly: the collaborators of mass media institutions have been received more frequently not only as but also for making photos, and shooting films. We lent documents preserved at users, our library for exhibitions both in Hungary and abroad in a number of cases, the most outstanding one being the exhibition entitled "Corvin Mátyás és a reneszánsz Magyarországon" (Matthias Corvinus and the Renaissance in Hungary) organised in Schallaburg, Austria, in 1982 in honour of the great renaissance king of Hungary, Matthias Corvinus. It was the first time that the most beautiful pieces of the famous Corvina Library, that could be found spread all over the large libraries of the world, were put on show together in an exhibition of remarkable size and excellent design. 22 codices (including 14 Corvináé), 45 incunabula (one of them a Corvina) and numerous 16th century printings represented the National Széchényi Library's collection at the exhibition. The number of visitors to the two historic libraries maintained by the Széchényi Library increases every year. The former Franciscan library from the Middle Ages to be found in Gyöngyös is visited by more than 20,000 tourists every year, while the number of visitors to the library of the former Cistercian Abbey in Zirc is over 80,000 per year. Protection of the holdings. Reprography In 1982/83 the binding of documents intended for the reference collections of new reading rooms was given priority in the binding programme. Altogether more than 38,000 volumes of books, newspapers and periodicals were bound during these two years in the library's own workshop and in external binderies. Reparation and restoration have been performed by three sections since 1983, when the Central Restoration Laboratory was put into operation as the third one. Its mission is to repair and preserve the most valuable documents in need of restoration from libraries all over the country. The systematical research and development activity carried out at the Széchényi Library, coupled with the experiences of study-tours made abroad, ensure that the library's experts will be able to cope with their country-wide responsibilities, too. Advances were made in the training of would-be restorers as well. 91