Experts or computers? Trends in the changes of library using habits
NAGY Attila
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The study follows up on the preliminary report published in the Könyvtári Figyelo (Libraries, computers, reading. A quick report on the results of a survey conducted by the National Széchényi Library and TÁRKI Social Research Centre, 2006. no. 1.). In 2005 the Social Research Centre initiated a national questionnaire survey in co-operation with the Reading Research Department of the National Széchényi Library’s Library Institute. The sample consisted of 3674 persons. While the report has drawn attention to general trends, this study digs deeper, and describes the trends in the changes of readers’ attitudes to library use.
Changes have occurred – as compared with the data gathered in 1964, 1985 and 2000 – not only in the habits of library use, but in those of acquiring books as well. On the whole, the number of adults reading one book per year has decreased to 40 per cent, and the number of adults lending books from the library has sunk to its third in the last forty years. Nowadays for most people the sources of acquiring books are the family library and bookstores. The proportion of books received as a gift is substantial. As regards gender and age, women and young adults take a leading position.
The author examined the alterations of library use from the point of age, qualification, place of living, as well as from the point of the frequency of library visits, and the scope of using different library services. In 1985 44 per cent of adults were library patrons, by today this number has decreased to 12 per cent. The frequency of library visits, too, shows a decreasing trend. The biggest user group is that of young adult learners aged 18 to 29.
While the proportion of computer and Internet users has increased, 80 per cent of non-readers are not using computers either. The majority of regular readers are using both computers and the Internet. The growth of cultural advantages and disadvantages does not promote equal chances, rather it leads to a further social divide.
Relationship between using libraries, computers and the InternetPÉTERFI Rita
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The article (its first part see in: Könyvtári Figyelo, 2006. no.1., as above) shows – relying on data of a survey carried out by the National Széchényi Library and the Social Research Centre TÁRKI in autumn 2005 – how the habits of using libraries have altered in Hungary with the advent of information and communication technologies (ICT).
With the help of some matrices, the author outlines the relationship between library membership, services, library visits and using computers and the Internet. The author puts the question: “Are Pierre Bourdieu’s theses on cultural capital, and on the incorporated cultural capital – its accumulation and transmission – relevant also in 21st century Hungary?“
It is clear from data that the problem described in literature as digital divide or digital gap is present also in Hungary. With the accumulation of cultural goods the advantage of people who have access is growing further against those who have not. The reason why this distance is widening is that the privileged group can develop further at a quicker pace than the disadvantaged, consequently the divide gets wider as well. The disadvantages are especially significant in the population of small communities.
Digital library issues in LIS education in Jászberény and in Szombathely
KOLTAY Tibor – ÖRDÖGNÉ KOVÁCS Mónika
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The study analyses, how digital library issues are represented in the courses of LIS education in Hungary, particularly at the Szent István University’s Applied Philological Faculty (in Jászberény) and at the Berzsenyi Dániel College (in Szombathely).
The authors have followed the method of Bawden, Vilar and Zabukovec, comparing education and training for digital librarians in Slovenia and the UK.
As first, the Hungarian authors have defined the differences between electronic, virtual, digital and hybrid libraries. Based on the definition of the digital library they conclude that this theme should be discussed together with electronic library issues. The analysis of training programmes has shown that digital library issues are also included in other courses (e.g. in those for information brokers, school librarians, or on Internet resources and collection development, etc.).
In Jászberény the course Electronic libraries can be chosen as an optional one, and three courses of the Information broker module include also digital library aspects.
In Szombathely archiving techniques were studied already in the early nineties, since 1996 within the courses The Internet and Internet resources (later Web editing); now the digital library-related themes are part of the Electronic library course. Within the frame programme Information broker a special course was started under the title Digital content provision.
Digital library issues are present in both institutions’ programmes. As this theme is continuously developing and changing, it is very important to regularly adjust the content of courses and training to actual needs and international trends, and to take into account the practice of digital and electronic libraries in Hungary.
Handbooks on librarianship in Hungary: history and selected texts
SONNEVEND Péter
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The author gives a short overview of the history of Hungarian handbooks on librarianship, and presents selected texts from the works in question. The texts quoted explain the goals of authors, and also reflect the professional environment at the time of their creation. In addition, the contents pages of handbooks are given for the purposes of a comparison.
The works in question are: Károly Kudora’s Librarianship (Könyvtártan, 1893), Zoltán Ferenczi’s Basics of librarianship (A könyvtártan alapvonalai, 1903), Pál Gulyás’ Organising, maintaining and managing public libraries (A népkönyvtárak szervezése, fenntartása és kezelése, 1909), Géza Káplány’s Organisation and development of modern libraries (Könyvtárak korszerű rendezése és fejlesztése, 1943), István Sallai’s: Library work (A könyvtári munka, 1954), István Sallai’s and Géza Sebestyén’s Handbook of librarians (A könyvtáros kézikönyve (1956, 2nd rev. ed. 1965), Tibor Horváth’s and István Papp’s (eds.) Handbook of librarians, vols. 1-5. (Könyvtárosok kézikönyve, 1999–2003).
“…to hinder the circulation of dangerous publications.” On closed library collections in the second half of the forties
BÁNFI Szilvia
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
In the Stalinist Soviet Union ideologically “dangerous“ works were weeded from public libraries thanks to the omni-present, well organised censorship; in research libraries these works were placed into closed collections with severe restrictions of use.
After 1945 the same practice was established in Hungary: a statutory order regulated the weeding and destruction of Fascist, Anti-Soviet or anti-democratic publications. This study shows the emergence of this approach by presenting the example of a book held by the National Széchényi Library (later transferred to the Closed Collection of the NL), and the relevant archival materials.
Catalogues – what now?
(Reviewed by DIPPOLD Péter)
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The article is reviewing and commenting on Lorcan Dempsey’s and Chris Anderson’s articles about the future of library catalogues, concerning the “Long Tail“ phenomenon. Anderson argued that products that are in low demand or have low sales volume can collectively make up a market share that rivals or exceeds the relatively few current best sellers, if the store or distribution channel is large enough. (Examples of such mega-stores include the online retailer Amazon and the online video rental service Netflix.) According to this logic libraries collect predominantly materials representing the Long Tail category. However, the information given by library OPACs is insufficient for increasing usage, so the collections should provide access to the documents themselves. Cataloguing is expensive, library catalogues are sophisticated to use, while search engines are simple and popular – that is why the use of library OPACs is falling back. Libraries need to enable interoperability between their catalogues and search engines, and to enhance shared catalogues.
Authority control in the context of organisation of and access to information. Definition and international experience, Parts I-II.
(Double issues of the journal Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, vol. 38. no. 3-4. and vol. 39. no. 1-2. 2004)
(Reviewed by DUDÁS Anikó)
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
Report on the 1. International Conference on Authority Control: Definition and International Experiences held in Florence, Italy, February 10-12, 2003. The three days of the conference were organised into five sessions as follows: I. State of the art and new theoretical perspectives, II. Standards, exchange formats, metadata; III. Authority control for names; IV. Authority control for subjects; V. Authority control experiences and projects.
Topic map applications on the Internet. Part 2
PAJOR Eniko
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The essay continues the article Topic map applications on the Internet (published in Könyvtári Figyelo, 15. (51.) vol. 2005. no. 4. pp.817-830.).
Topic map technology is a knowledge representation tool that facilitates information processing by organising knowledge in a special system of relationships. Everything is considered to be a topic, and associations with related content are collected on a topic map. The first part of the study has presented some search engines using such a system, this second part demonstrates visual engines, such as Ujiko and Liveplasma.
SHENTON, Andrew: Publishing research in LIS journals
(Reviewed by KOLTAY Tibor)
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
Practical suggestions on what to publish, why, when, where and how.
Computerised processing of Medieval Slavic manuscripts at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: The Repertorium Project
DANCS Szabolcs
Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review) vol. 16 (52) 2006. no. 4.
The author outlines the international Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) and the Bulgarian Repertorium project applying TEI‘s achievements. TEI makes it possible to process any manuscript, independent of its language. The article presents the record structure of description as well.
Maros County till 1944 – in books
FÜLÖP Mária – FERENCZ Klára: Maros megye retrospektív bibliográfiai könyvészete
[A historical bibliography of Maros County, Romania]
(reviewed by GYURIS György)
Librarianship in the Pannon Region. Chapters from Márta Pallósi-Toldi’s surveys
(Reviewed by Bartók Györgyi)