Hungarian Library Research Articles

Financial literacy in Hungarian libraries: Survey-based steps for implementation

In Hungarian libraries, the development of financial literacy (FL) is either not present at all or is very low in intensity. The Hungarian government strategy does not involve libraries in FL development. Based on the dissemination of information and digital literacy, there are numerous good examples worldwide proving that libraries, reaching all of their users, can effectively take part in financial education and, built thereon, business development and business information services. This can increase their social recognition and even supplement their funding. In 2022, for the first time in the country, the authors conducted a survey among Hungarian librarians to assess the current situation, to identify what hinders the expansion of services related to FL, and what tasks should be performed and what innovations should be introduced in libraries. The survey also seeks to define which fields of competence are to be acquired by librarians. It also reveals the forms of external professional cooperation that are necessary to organise library programmes strengthening financial awareness. The results provide valuable information not only for Hungary, but also internationally, since they showcase the challenges that the library system of a former socialist country in Europe faces after three decades of market economy in this current, market- and profit-oriented world.

Public Library Digital Competency Mapping 2019: A Survey on Digital Skills of Library Professionals With Different Qualifications

Social science researchers rarely can repeat a representative empirical study on an essentially identical sample in a relatively short time; to confirm the validity or, on the contrary, the invalidity of initial results. In the framework of the EFOP-3.3.3-VEKOP-16-2016-00001 “Museum and Library Development for All” grant scheme in Hungary, the flagship project “My Library,” implemented under the auspices of the Szabó Ervin Library in Budapest, allowed for two surveys to be conducted 2 years apart to assess the digital competence status of library professionals working in public libraries. This study seeks to answer the question of the impact of different educational levels on digital competence levels. Furthermore, it asks whether the results of the 2019 survey confirm the finding from 2017 that a higher education librarian degree, the librarian diploma, has a strong competence-increasing effect on each of the digital competence areas. Both studies are representative of the Hungarian public library sector. In the 2017 survey, 1,786 library professionals from different municipal libraries participated and in the 2019 survey, 1,868. As a result of the survey, an extremely rich data set is available, which allows for an accurate understanding of the digital skills of library professionals and the identification of areas for improvement or even the organization of targeted professional training.

Values, strengths and futures of museums, libraries and community centres as seen by experts in the field: First round results of a Delphi study

In the process of building local communities with shared cultural values, museums, libraries and community centres are key agents in civil society. When these institutions project specific notions and ideal types of identity and citizenship, they have the potential to produce changes in people’s behaviour. It is only natural that political bodies are interested in these processes. On 16 September 2016, the Ministry of Human Capacities of the Hungarian Government launched an EU-funded project with the primary aim of strengthening social cohesion within the region. As a part of this project, we surveyed 59 professionals working in Hungarian museums, libraries and community centres, using the Delphi method, to gain insights about their capacities, needs, and visions. This article presents the results of the first round of analysis. Respondents’ answers were analysed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software, which resulted in a thematic map showing the main problems professionals in these sectors are struggling with, and highlighting the kinds of visions they had for their institutions’ future. The study clearly shows that the cultural sector is plagued by financial problems, and that there is a strong need for reform when it comes to the professional training of workers in these fields. Regarding the future, visions are centred around cultural institutions increasingly becoming community spaces, thinktanks, and ideas workshops that consciously guide community formation.

Névkezelési szabályok a magyar könyvtári feldolgozásban

Rules of name management in Hungarian library processes
 The paper describes the currently valid rules for recording proper nouns in Hungarian library cataloguing. For publications and manuscripts, the name types that must be recorded include, among others, authorship (name or organisational name), the place of publication (geographical name), personal and geographical names, and in the ‘about’ field event names and organisational names may be recorded. According to the rules of data processing, a distinction is made between description and classification, i.e. the name forms on the documents and the standardized name forms in descriptions. This latter type is regulated by Hungarian standards published between the end of the 1970s and the mid-1980s and a 2005 regulation. As these documents were made in the period of pre-computerized index cards, many libraries have created their own local rules for the present day. Technical development, the request for libraries to match their databases and the pos-sibilities of turning to foreign catalogues put emphasis on the need for updating Hungarian stan-dards and introducing so-called name spaces to ensure consistency.

From Divergence to Convergence in Hungarian Librarianship: Towards a Common Digital Platform

Abstract Hungarian librarianship and related research are sadly underrepresented in international literature. With this article we intend to fill this gap and inform the experts of library and information science of some of the most recent Hungarian innovations. After showcasing the international professional connections of Hungarian librarianship, we present the structure of the Hungarian public library network and its mode of operation. We also analyse current and future main digital development plans, projects and the most important related professional activities of Hungarian libraries. Emphasis is placed on information systems promoting cooperation between libraries and the issues of the National Library System Project, which is a large-scale modernisation programme carried out between 2016 and 2018, designed to develop the IT system of the National Széchényi Library. After introducing the information systems of academic and specialised libraries and the access models of scientific databases provided by multinational and Hungarian content services, we also discuss the endeavours of public libraries aiming for multifunctionality and community organisation. The paper ends by providing insights into how the outcomes of the recent initiatives have been fed back into Hungarian LIS training courses offered in higher education.

Semantic web developments in Hungarian public collections in an international perspective

In my paper after describing the international context of the Hungarian semantic web projects, I would like to introduce the semantic web project of the Hungarian National Széchényi Library. They built up an ontology published their catalogue and authority data as linked open data on the semantic web (by the help of an own name space, SKOS and VIAF). They also generated a SPARQL-endpoint in order to put their semantic datasets to the cloud.A recent project of the Petőfi Literary Museum focusing on name authority record. They are converting around 620000 authority record into RDF-XML format. They would like to publish their data in VIAF (worldwide semantic virtual authority file database) and make them accessible on the OCLC WorldCat semantic environment. This database will be the second database followed by the Hungarian National Library that will appear in VIAF. They are planning also to build up an own triple-store in collaboration with other Hungarian libraries and museums in order to enrich their own semantic datasets with external semantic links.In this context I would like to introduce the tools developed by the framework of the ALIADA project with an international collaboration in order to offer a complete environment to public collection to help them appearing on the semantic web with their own triple-store and datasets. I would like to describe some major projects in semantic field in Hungary that can be implemented possibly in the future. I will mainly highlight the concept of the Hungarian National Namespace that can set all the institutional efforts from public collections to a common framework. Last but not least I would like to describe the use of microformats (based on HTML 5 standard) to put semantic markup data elements into full-text online content resources. That can be also really relevant for public collections (especially for libraries) in order to provide new semantic datasets based on their existing full-text online resources.

ELDORADO Project

Hungarian libraries have formed a consortium that led by the National Széchényi Library (NSZL). This consortium is maintaining a project called ELDORADO that provides a new service model and infrastructure environment in digital library field. Our company Cultware is the main system developer partner, focusing on the building of the whole hardware and software architecture and infrastructure of the project. The main scope of the project can be set by some major objectives: Providing digital access for library holdings regardless of their copyright or digitization status. It occurs a large set of on-demand digitisation activities, the registration of digital documents that have digitized already in different libraries in a common single service environment. These activities have coordinated by a library consortium in partnership with all the relevant stakeholders on the related fields. Offering equal and remote access to digital information to all Hungarian spoken people regardless their geographical location is an ultimate goal of the project. Digital access must include a large set of copyrighted materials, orphan works and public domain documents. A major goal (through new collaboration forms with publishers) is to re-publish out-of commerce works in digital format. The project includes collection, preservation and publication activities together in a single service environment.

Hungarian Libraries and Librarianship, 1990–2013: An Overview

This paper offers an overview of the transformation in Hungarian librarianship after 1990 and addresses the most important elements of professional development during the same period. The main organizations and types of libraries in the Hungarian library world are described. Information is provided on digital library projects and services, professional training and publications, and the development of international relations involving Hungarian librarians.

The library system of Hungary

Abstract The article deals with the history and activity of libraries in Hungary. It presents the general characteristics of the Hungarian library system; with particular types of libraries, library legislation, the development of special libraries and their roles in social, cultural and economic areas of Hungary. The following organisations have an important role in the development of librarian activity: department for librarianship of the Ministry of Culture, Centre for Librarian Science and Work Methodology at the National Library Széchényi in Budapest. The Centre for Library Procuration, which has an important role in forming the library’s fund, is presented as a special point of interest in the Hungarian system.

American Hungarian Library Connections: Collecting, Inventorying, Preserving, and Sharing Hungarian Documents in the United States

Several waves of Hungarian immigrants arrived in the United States, beginning with the economic immigrants of the late nineteenth century through the interwar period and post-World War II, to the last major refugee crisis after 1956. Hungarian communities preserved their cultural heritage and ethnic identity by creating their own institutions: churches, societies, schools, libraries, etc. The author discusses the relationships between Hungarian and American libraries and librarians in terms of collecting, registering, preserving, and sharing the Hungarian cultural heritage.

The Persian and Indo-Persian Manuscripts of Alexander Kégl

When the Oriental Collection of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences acquired the bequest of Alexander (Sandor) Kegl (1862–1920) in 1925, the Academy’s Persian holdings nearly doubled in number, securing its status as the foremost Hungarian collection of Persian manuscripts and increasing its international significance. From an Iranologist’s perspective, no Hungarian private library comes close to that of Kegl, which includes, in addition to thousands of printed books, fifty-nine Persian manuscripts, chiefly of Indian origin.Numbers aside, Kegl’s Persian library merits attention on several other counts. First, his material seems to have been the only Persian collection in Hungary which was gathered on a methodically sound basis: while reflecting the personal bias and tastes of the collector, it is a reasonable reference library for certain well-defined aspects and periods of Persian literature, most notably the Persianate literary culture of India. Second, some individual items in the collection deserve attention in their own right: for example, the oldest dated Persian manuscript in Hungary, a copy of the Kalīla va Dimna of Naṣrallāh, dated 719ah/1319ce. Finally, the provenances and dedications that can be seen in some books reflect Kegl’s far-reaching European scholarly connections: Charles Schefer, Paul Horn, and Harald Rasmussen are among the manuscripts’ previous owners. This paper introduces and analyses these aspects of the collection.

Library Consortia in Hungary

During the last two decades many Hungarian libraries have developed considerably, beyond what was considered possible prior to 1989 and the beginning of events signaling the end of Communism in the country. Some of the modernization of library services has been realized through participation in cooperative agreements. Many smaller and larger consortia have been organized in Hungary since 1991. There are some consortia based around specific vendors, e.g. EBSCO and ProQuest, but the most important consortia were four state supported programs: FEFA (Orientation towards European Development Fund), OTKA (Hungarian Scientific Research Fund), EISZ (Electronic Information Service), and TÁMOP (Social Renewal Operative Program). Through these programs, access to the most important scientific and multidisciplinary databases was provided for the Hungarian academic and research community. They assisted libraries to create a well-functioning Information Technology (IT) infrastructure in addition to a rich collection of electronic sources. What has been achieved so far has been beneficial; however, an extension to the number of accessible databases would be advantageous. This might be possible if more government ministries were involved in the financing of a library consortium based on a national license.

Factors influencing self‐assessment in a changing library environment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the results of two consecutive EFQM‐based self‐assessments, which were performed in Meliusz County Library of Debrecen, Hungary in 2007 and 2008. At the time of the first assessment the library operated across several scattered buildings with poor working conditions. By the time of the second self‐assessment the library had moved to a new, modern building, with an ideal working environment. The focus of this examination is to determine how the positive change of environmental impacts influence the satisfaction of both employees and users.Design/methodology/approachIn one of this author's previous research studies, an EFQM‐based toolkit for library self‐assessments was developed which provided the methodological base for these surveys. Enablers of the organization – leadership; policy and strategy; people; partnerships and resources; and processes – were evaluated and surveyed.FindingsThis author had the preconceived notion before evaluating the results that the results of second assessment would naturally be more positive than the results of the first, due to the improved, modern environment. Comparison of the two surveys provided unexpected results, as the employees rated enablers in 2007 consistently higher than in 2008. The goal of this study became an investigation of this interesting dilemma, which proved to have changes of senior management at its roots.Originality/valueThe examinations are conducted using the pro forma method of the EFQM‐based self‐assessment package. No other Hungarian libraries have performed self‐assessment based on this method and an examination of the results of this study proves its applicability. With the help of the pro forma method, the most sophisticated and smallest facts that influence the life of the organization become apparent.

Artwork Photography in Hungary: The Early Years (1859–1885)

This study presents an overview of the historical photography collections in Hungary documenting artworks from the late 1850s through the mid‐1880s. Initially, photographs were acquired by museums, art educational institutions, archaeological and historic preservation organizations either through purchase or as donations. Soon curators, librarians, and cultural administrators recognized the value of documenting Hungary’s important artistic and cultural treasures. By using photographs as the bases for engravings and later photomechanical processes in publications, they could very effectively record and promote Hungary’s collections outside the country. Over the years, photography was also used to record artworks exhibited in temporary exhibitions. The curators, backed with financial support from the cultural ministry, hired the most qualified artwork photographers to create records of the collections as well as exhibitions, such as the Book Exhibition of Budapest in 1882 and the Goldsmith’s Exhibition of 1884. Many photographers (summarized in the appendix at the end of this article) were involved in these early documentation efforts and their legacies remain in Hungarian libraries, museums, and cultural organizations. This article reveals how these artwork photography collections began and where they are today.

The reception of post-Tridentine Cantus Romanus in 17th- and 18th-century Hungary

As local traditions of the Catholic Church were suppressed in the 17th century, so Esztergom, the ecclesiastical centre of Hungary was deprived of its medieval rite and associated style of Gregorian chant. The place and function of the earlier repertory were assumed by a quite new type of chant, created from earlier curial melodies according to the humanist aesthetics of a new era. This revised repertory was transmitted by post-Tridentine printed chant books emanating from Italian, French and Dutch printers, which became prevalent all over Europe, including Hungary. The editions of the new cantus romanus that have emerged from various Hungarian libraries constitute material hitherto unknown to musical reception research. This study marks an initial attempt to summarize the early findings of a new examination of the sources and answer several questions: Which editions were ordered by which ecclesiastical institutions? How and in what quantities were the editions available? What types of liturgical chant books have survived in Hungarian collections? How can the editions be grouped chronologically? What do the possessor’s notes reveal? How do musical variants in the editions relate to each other?

Pushing the boundaries of accessibility – Governmental efforts on ensuring equal access to information to rural library users (1997–2007)

In 1997 a new Cultural Act was enacted which included, among other things, public library provision. Based on this act the Hungarian library system has been developed systematically through the consecutive strategic plans (Skaliczki, 1999). All projects aimed to push the boundaries of accessibility and to facilitate the realisation of the information society (Caidi, 2006). The 2003-2007 strategic period draws to an end and now we are able to review the tasks accomplished. (Skaliczki, 2003; 2006). The purpose of this article is to present an overview of the strategic development of Hungarian libraries between 1997 and 2007, and to draw up the basic figures regarding to this period. (<http://www.ki.oszk.hu/statisztika.html>)

The Persistence and Decline of German Scholarship in Hungarian Library Collections and Culture in the Twentieth Century

ABSTRACT The article examines the status of German scholarship in Hungary (meaning written by Germans and published in the German language), based on the evidence of library collections and the study of the language. Hungary's long association with Austria and Germany and the privileged position of its German minority gave special importance to German culture and scholarly publications in Hungarian library collections for much of the twentieth century. This edge persisted even after the influence of the German minority waned and then Nazi domination came to an end. Despite the rise of English, German still retains a special position in Hungary.

バルセロナおよびブダペストで2005年に開催された国際ワークショップ・ハンガリー医学図書館協会年次大会への参加報告

バルセロナおよびブダペストで2005年に開催された国際ワークショップ・ハンガリー医学図書館協会年次大会への参加報告

Changing information needs in a transition period in Hungary: satisfying demands from different sources

The changes taking place in Hungarian society, combined with technological innovation, have placed the Hungarian library system in permanent transition. In 1997, a new Cultural Act was enacted which included, among other things, public library provision. The traditional library service of ILL is also in transition and it is necessary to carry out an evaluation of the services of the requesting and supplying libraries which are still available. This paper addresses these questions and discusses ways of satisfying demands from different sources.

A young librarian’s career development: personal notes from Hungary

Presents a personal view of a typical librarian’s career in contemporary Hungary. For a deeper understanding of the country’s peculiar circumstances, a more detailed overview is given about the position, general state and financial conditions of Hungarian libraries, their loss as attractive places of employment and the declining social status of the librarian. The causes that lie behind this are briefly discussed as well as the librarian’s view of possible solutions. A scheme and short explanation of Hungarian librarian training is followed by the author’s personal example. Helped by favourable factors while a student and later as an employee at a prestigious library, she is now the information officer of an international organization in Budapest and is actively involved in promoting international ties for Hungarian librarians.