Abstracts – 2/2018

STUDIES

Placemaking – theoretical and practical issues of creating public library spaces
KOVÁCSNÉ KORENY Ágnes

As places that are open and accessible for all, public libraries, represent the few remaining public spaces in many settlements, especially in smaller and disadvantaged ones. The variety of their functions and their new roles are well served by the principles, approaches, and tools represented by placemaking. Placemaking is a concept used in architecture and urbanism: it expresses the act of creating public spaces with community functions. With the help of placemaking, we can create attractive living spaces in a city or village, which will be then further formed by local communities through transforming public areas into living community spaces, filling them with community functions and activities, as well as finding new opportunities for their use. Applying the principles, approaches, and tools of placemaking, a public library operating on a community-driven principle can act in a community as a public institution with an impact surpassing its physical reality. However, for its successful operation, it is  indispensable to reconsider physical spaces with an eye to the community, thus creating a link is between the local community served, library functions, and tasks, and library spaces.

Reading and media use
TÓTH Máté

In 2017, two nationwide representative surveys on reading and library use were conducted among 1500 individuals each, in the age group 3–18 and above 18 resp. (see Könyvtári Figyelő, vol. 28. (64.) 2018. no. 1. pp. 45–60.) within an EU-supported project “Museum and library developments for all” (FSZEK EFOP-3.3.3.-VEKOP-16-2016-000001) as part of the priority project entitled “My library”. The data recorded have confirmed and provided further details on what was known about media use and reading. Basically, watching television impacts book reading negatively, while the internet use exerts a positive influence. Access to media devices is extending. In households with children there are several types of media. Differences are found in the types of internet access. Earlier, reading books was most common among those moderately frequently watching television, nowadays frequent readers come from among those watching television less frequently. The survey collected data on the frequency of internet use and reading by age groups. Among frequent internet users there are fewer non-readers, however, regular internet use has a negative impact on reading performance.

Total Quality Management (TQM) in Hungarian libraries (1993–2017)
SKALICZKI Judit

The adoption of quality management in Hungarian libraries is closely related to the activities and programmes of the Federation of Libraries and Information Centres (abbreviated from 1990 through 1997 as KIK, afterwards as IKSZ), as well as the national library development strategy of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage (NKÖM). The first Hungarian symposium about the quality-centred approach was held in 1993 in the National Széchényi Library by UK quality specialists. In the spring of 1994, the leaders of KIK (Éva Zalai-Kovács and Judit Skaliczki) participated at a quality management training in Manchester. As early as autumn 1994, a seminar was organized at Lakitelek for Hungarian experts, led by Maurice B. Line. TQM’s introduction in a Hungarian library took place within a three-year project between 1996 and 1999 at the Katona József Library in Kecs­kemét. This county library became then the base of TQM training. In order to provide comprehensive information to Hungarian librarians, and to support their training, KIK published a series under the title “Modern libraries – modern practices”. In 2002, a 120-hour, four-module accredited training was launched about library quality management. NKÖM funded projects to develop the libraries’ quality management system within its grant programme “Quality improvement in libraries 21”. Within the framework of the “Library quality improvement – library modernization” project library performance indicators were developed. The adoption of TQM in libraries was assisted by a series of publications entitled “Good practice for introducing library quality management”. In 2009, a Quality development working group developed a self-assessment framework for libraries (abbreviated as KKÉK), based on the principles of the Common Assessment Framework. In 2010, a Decree issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM) stipulated the order of awarding the Quality-Certified Library Title and the Library Quality Award. Between 2010 and 2014 the role of the Quality development working group was continued by the Library Quality Committee. Their activities were prolonged for another four years in 2014 by the ministry responsible for cultural affairs. The committee initiated library quality assessment training, issued calls for proposals, and set up criteria for awarding the relevant title. The author summarizes the committee’s activities between 2010 and 2017, and lists the holders of the Quality-Certified Library Title and the winners of the Library Quality Award. In conclusion, she lists facts and data about why the committee ceased to function in autumn 2017.

WORKSHOP

Changing views on information literacy
KOLTAY Tibor

In 2017, several recognised information literacy (IL) professionals have been invited to contribute to the 10th birthday issue of the Journal of Information Literacy. This paper reflects not only on ideas described in some of these writings, but also addresses several other relevant issues. This paper supports the arguments for strengthening the theoretical foundations of IL by making use of phenomenographic, socio-cultural theories and discourse-analytical approaches, as indicated by Limberg, Sundin and Talja (2012). Developed by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the ACRL Information Literacy Standards were replaced by the Information Literacy Framework for Higher Education in 2016, presented in great detail.

Renewing the genre of the biographical index in the Hungarian Biographical Guide (HBG). Part 2. Comparative analysis, areas of use

The author compares the Hungarian Biographical Guide (HBG), the Hungarian Biographical Index and the Hungarica Name Cadastre (currently not accessible online), illustrating that despite their similar scope, there are discrepancies in searches and in results for a given field or person. In addition to similarities, he draws attention to the broader and more flexible solutions of HBG. From among the international biographical indexes, he analyzes the World Biographical Index (WBI) using several Hungarian examples. In conclusion, the author reviews the development possibilities of HBG, and contemplates its alternatives in the last two chapters of this paper. His plans for amendment include, for example, synchronizing topography, refining selection, and enhancing clarity – all to benefit users. In addition to direct access, HBG offers a variety of secondary uses (e.g., as a calendar of anniversaries, for online quick reference, publishing control, etc.). As HBG is a heroic one-man enterprise of some decades, its editor should in the future focus, besides strengthening data collection, on establishing collaboration and partnership with biographical workshops in Hungary, as presented in the options by the author.

“The place where we live”. A national library conference on local knowledge in Székesfehérvár
SZÔNYEGI Hajnalka

A short report on the national local knowledge conference held in the Vörösmarty Mihály Library, Székesfehérvár on March 5, 2018.

E-LEARNING AND LIBRARIES

E-learning materials
BÁNKESZI Katalin – SZEPESI Judit

In the previous two parts of the paper (see Könyvtári Figyelő (Library Review), vol. 27. (63.) 2017. no. 4. pp. 541–548.; vol. 28. (64.) 2018. 1. pp. 83–90), the basic concepts of e-learning, the elements of the e-learning environment, and students’ and teachers’ competences were reviewed. This part summarizes issues related to e-learning materials. (What is an e-learning material, what are its types, what constitutes a good e-learning material, what are its standards, and how and with what tools can someone create an e-learning material?)

FROM OUR PAST

Recommendatory bibliographies as tools of readers’ education and propaganda in the ‘50s
POGÁNY György

In the 1950s, the major tools of mass education were illustrative and oral propaganda. The latter was assisted by the annotated thematic bibliographies, called recommendatory bibliographies. Recommendatory bibliographies were information tools in the second place only, first of all they were tools for propaganda. They promoted selected literature with a brief description of content on various topics (such as various production issues, self-development, etc.) to non-professionals with different levels of education. Their aim was to orient readers. In 1953, more than 250 such bibliographies were published in Hungary. The author reviews the evolution and role of this genre in information, and presents its Soviet version, as well as how this genre appeared in Hungary based on Soviet concepts. He quotes the statements of renowned Hungarian librarians (Béla Kőhalmi, Géza Sebestyén, Gyula Gerő and others) on the role of this genre in the Rákosi Era (1945-1956), and refers to important professional and political events of the first half of the 1950s, where it was a recurrent theme how to popularize recommendatory thematic bibliographies. The recommendatory bibliographies of the Rákosi Era were of ephemeral nature and arguable quality.

OBITUARY
Ildikó Varga (1937–2018)

RÁCZ Ágnes

Ildikó Varga was a retired senior researcher, counselor at the National Széchényi Library, later at the Hungarian Library Institute. Her work focused on the methods and education of cataloging. In addition to publishing rules and guidelines, she took part in standardization as an expert. In 1990, her outstanding professional work was recognized by the Ervin Szabó Memorial Medal.

Éva Kondor (Éva Ziegler) (1930–2018)
S. P.

Éva Kondor started her career at the Library of the University of Technology in Budapest, continued in a medical library, later, from 1958 in the National Széchényi Library. Her first position was in the special library of the Centre for Library Science and Methodology, later at its Methodological Department of Research and Special Libraries. In the early seventies she changed over to the Central Catalogue of Books at the National Széchényi Library, where she became editor of the national catalogue of new acquisitions entitled Foreign Social Science Handbooks. In 1988, when retiring, she was awarded the Ervin Szabó Memorial Medal.

OUTLOOK

The LIBER Strategy 2018–2022
GAÁLNÉ KALYDY Dóra

In November 2017, LIBER (Association of European Research Libraries) published its strategy for the next five years. The paper describes the priority areas of this strategy: 1) libraries as a platform for innovative scientific communication; 2) libraries as a hub for digital skills and services, 3) libraries as partners in research infrastructure. The strategy is comprehensive and general for each library to find its own path. The LIBER strategy is especially important for Hungarian research and special libraries because we have not had a national library strategy since 2014, so the LIBER strategy can be a benchmark. There are two national documents in Hungary that harmonize with the goals of the LIBER strategy: one is the Statement of intent of December 2016 on the co-operation of the Hungarian research and special libraries and the National Library System project, the other one is the Resolution prepared by the Section of Research and Special Libraries of the Federation of Libraries and Information Centres (IKSZ) about the renewal of the national library system and support for open access.

Impressions about the Wrocław IFLA Conference
NÉMETH Márton

The author took part at the 2016 IFLA Conference in Wrocław as a volunteer. In his report, he shares his impressions about Poland, the city of Wroclaw, the conference venues, volunteers’ work at the conference, as well about the professional activities and social events.

BOOK REVIEWS

A history of Hungarian libraries in the Rákosi Era. A new volume in the series “Nemzeti téka”

Fejezetek a magyarországi könyvtárügy történetéből  1945–1956. Szerk. Sonnevend Péter, Kégli Fe­renc. Budapest, OSZK, Gondolat K., 2018. 339, 2 p. (Nem­zeti téka)

(Reviewed by Márta P. Toldi)

Selected bibliography of planned, yet unpublished periodicals

Lakatos Éva: Kikötőben maradt hajók. Laptervezetek – meg nem jelent lapok válogatott bibliográfiája. Sajtó alá rend. kieg. Herendi László. Budapest, OSZK, Gondolat K., 2017. 198 p. (Nemzeti téka)

(Reviewed by György Pogány)

FROM LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE JOURNALS (ABSTRACTS)

Kategória: 2018. 2. szám | A közvetlen link.

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