In the net of lines of force. (Effects and counter effects in librarianship.)
SZENTE Ferenc (pp. 383-386
The libraries of cultural institutes as channels of intercultural communication.
KOVÁCS Ilona
The task of libraries of cultural institutes is to mediate cultural values. They operate as channels of intercultural communication. These institutions have been fulfilling this function for some decades. The prospects of European cultural integration are further underlining the importance of this role and make the elaboration of new strategies necessary. The result of communication research can contribute to this, if these institutes are studied in relation to intercultural communication. (pp. 387-389)
The American Library.
SÁGHY Ágota
Since the system change in Hungary the interest in the American Library, maintained by the United States Information Service, has considerably increased. The American Library’s holdings (at present 10,000 volumes) include, besides books on the foreign and internal politics, the economic and social life of the US, mostly books on economics and business management. The Library aims at assisting the realization of economic reforms and the development of the independent press in Hungary. In co-operation with the Soros Foundation the Library established a network of counselling centres on studying in the USA, in some large libraries in Budapest and in the country. These centres are also organizing proficiency examinations in English. The American Library’s equipment complies with the most up-to-date requirements. The Library will soon move to the House of American Commerce and Culture, which is now under construction. (pp. 390-392)
Media centre in the Institut Francais in Hungary.
BÁRDOSSY Gyöngyvér
The Institut Francais in Budapest, which has been operating for 40 years, is aiming at being a bridge between the two cultures, by organizing various cultural programmes. With its language sources it assists both students and teachers of French. In its library which has developed into an up-to-date media centre in recent years all kinds of media can be found from books to CD-ROMs. The complex information provision on the media and the library work processes are computerised with the help of the Média Bop software. In 1992 the Institute will move into a new, modern building. (pp. 393-398)
The House of Polish Culture and its Library.
DÁVID Csaba
The House started operation based on the cultural agreement concluded in 1951. Till the early 70′s it played the role of „a window open on the world” in Hungary. It has got an exhibition hall, a library, a club in the basement, and a projection room. The main sources of funding for the library of 10,000 volumes are the Warsaw Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the incomes of the Polish folklore shop in Budapest. In the past the library has been collecting illegally part of the „samizdat” (illegally published) literature, and – now that the censorship bureau has ceased operation – is aiming at making this collection complete. The visitors of the House are Polish people living in Hungary and others interested in Polish culture, literature and language.
(pp. 399-401)
Introducing the British Council Library, Budapest.
FREISINGERNÉ BODNÁR Judit
The British Council Library in Hungary is part of a worldwide network of 116 British Council libraries. The composition of its holdings is more or less equal to that of an English public library. As a result of the structural changes in the Hungarian society and economy, greater stress is laid on certain fields in its holdings (such as administration, law, tax affairs etc.). Most of the stock is selected from the acquisitions aid „Advance Book List”, the annual acquisition budget is cca. 25,000 GBP. The British Council provides considerable help for teachers and students of English, and carries out proficiency examinations as well. The Library is at present located in the building of the British Embassy, is open 5.5 hours a day. It is confined for space and the staff number is not sufficient either. Computerisation of the library work processes still remains to be accomplished. The British Council is planning to move into a new building in the near future. (pp. 402-406)
The House of Soviet Culture and Science, and its Library.
KUVEN’OVA, Vilma M. – VALENTINA, P.
The democratization process in the Soviet Union has brought about changes in the House of Soviet Culture and Science as well. The Works of till now prohibited authors, poets and painters could get into the stream of cultural exchange. The House is assisting the development of business relations between Soviet and Hungarian firms by organizing exhibitions on various fields of science and technology. Specialists may have online access to the AIST database in Moscow which includes the findings of social science and science research in the last five years. The Pushkin Institute of the Russian Language provides assistance to learners and teachers of Russian (which is not a compulsory subject any more). (pp. 407-409)
Bulgarian books and libraries in Hungary.
HARGITAINÉ SZIMEONOVA Rajna
Bulgaria and Hungary committed themselves to develop Bulgarian-Hungarian cultural relations for the first time in 1941, in an agreement between ministries of culture. The Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre has then, however, been already operating for 7 years. Besides the Library of the Centre, scientific, Bulgaristics literature and fiction are to be found in the Bulgarian Cultural Association, in the Library of the Bulgarian Primary and Secondary School and in the Slavic Department of the Loránd Eötvös University. The Centre is a publisher too: its bilingual publication, the “Hungaro-Bulgarica” contains the materials of conferences organized by the Centre, Works on issues of philology and literary scholarship. The Centre is self-sufficient from 1974 on. Its expenses are covered from the incomes of its two shops. Before the system change the Centre had contacts only with the cultural institutes of socialist countries. An example of the changes is that the meeting on environmental protection, initiated by the Goethe-Institut, will take place in the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre in 1992. (PP. 410-411)
The Institute of Austrian Culture.
KOTHANEK, Gertrude
After the political changes in Eastern Europe the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made its cultural connections in Hungary wider. Besides the Cultural Institute in Budapest, Austrian Libraries have been established in Szeged , Szombathely and Debrecen . An agency of the Austrian Institute of Eastern-South-Eastern Europe was established for the more effective co-operation of Austrian and Hungarian researchers. The Institute of Austrian Culture has been taking part since 1990 also in training the teachers of the bilingual secondary grammar school. The Library of the Institute, with a stock of 3,800 volumes, is collecting besides non-fiction and fiction also journals and audiovisual materials. The acquisitions budget is 30,000 ATS a year. The Institute has a staff of 5, library tasks are carried out by a half-time Hungarian staff member. (pp. 412-414)
The Library of the Budapest Goethe- Institut .
DETLEFS, Beata
It is the aim of the Institut to disseminate German culture in Hungary. The reunion of Germany in October 1990 and the social and economic changes in Hungary put the Goethe- Institut too before new tasks. In information services timeliness and comprehension should be given a priority. The Institut is planning to considerably develop the holdings of the Library. The Institut will in the near future move to a new building which will to a greater degree correspond to its needs. (pp. 415-417)
From automatic classification to higher-order morphologies.
DARÁNYI Sándor
In multivariate statistics, clustering and factoring algorithms are known to classify a set of data/cases by many variables. Such a classification is robust if different algorithms yield the same result. By a repeated classification process, robust or filtered extracts can be conceptualized as higher-order morphologies, following an astronomical metaphor. According to this, factor analytical space in observation corresponds to a universe and hitherto unseen clusters of objects/cases in it to galaxies, mapped at invisible wavelength. The disciplinary mapping of such morphs, the modelling of their evolution and navigation among them are some of the possibilities. (pp. 418-422)
The problems of image reception – “visual literacy”.
BOBOKNÉ BELÁNYI Beáta
The article analyses McLuhan’s views on the behavioural patterns of the post-typographical man, with special regard to image culture. In communication (speech, writing, book-printing, telecommunication, electronic information) media are not just holders but also constitutive elements of the messages they are transmitting. In obtaining visual information emotions play a primary role as opposed to rational sensation. The prevalence of images (e.g, tv-watching) is emotionally burdening. The man of the 20th and 21th centuries resp. should elaborate his strategy of becoming visually literate, and create the conditions of psychic reception. (pp. 423-427)