STUDIES
The General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR)
Part 2: Data management by libraries
TÓSZEGI Zsuzsanna
The General Data Protection Regulation of the European Union (GDPR) applies in the countries of the European Economic Area from 25 May 2018. In the first part of this study (Könyvtári Figyelő, 2019 no. 1.) the author reviewed the basic concepts of the data protection regulation and the rules of application. In this second part, she summarizes important knowledge related to public libraries. Introduces typical personal data management situations in library services from library membership through website visits, registered remote access and events to the legitimate management of camera recordings. Finally, she summarizes the tasks of libraries to manage personal data (preparation of information brochures, registration, survey of data assets, compliance with GDPR).
Keywords: Data processing; Data protection; European Union; General Data Protection Regulation; Librarianship
New library tasks in the era of data-intensive research
KOLTAY Tibor
Despite barriers, open access to publications has gained relatively wide support. In the case of research data this is much more difficult, thus it is a worldwide challenge, which is not perceived in some countries. Openness of data is imaginable only if the use of research data changes not only some researchers’ life, but that of the librarians who work in academic and special libraries and are becoming data professionals in order to be active participants of the research process. The new roles and tasks entail that librarians should focus on services instead of collections. This paper describes some features of this new role, touching upon the new views on data, the necessity to change how librarians see themselves and how they are seen by researchers. It also mentions librarians’ responsibilities such as data literacy, research data management, and data curation, which they had acquired in the textual world, but are also applicable to the data-intensive environment.
Keywords: User habits; Access; Information literacy; Research data; Research
Training and professional development courses offered by the Hungarian Library Institute
HANGODI Ágnes
The Hungarian Library Institute (HLI) is engaged, among other important tasks, in the professional development of library professionals, in extra school training, in organizing vocational training and further training courses, examinations, coordinating the work of training institutions, and supporting the training of Hungarian librarians living in the neighbouring countries. These tasks are carried out by HLI’s Education and Human Resources Development Department. In December 2018 and January 2019, the department conducted an online survey about the demand for training in the libraries registered as open for the general public. The author presents the views of respondents on the venue of training, forms of education, and proposed topics in summary tables. The satisfaction of respondents with the courses organized by HLI was 4.46 on a five-point scale.
Keywords: Adult education; Library education (basic and secondary level); Hungarian Library Institute; Extension training
Information and communication policy of the European Union, evolving information society and its impact in Hungary. Presenting the website of the Hungarian Parliament [*– e-only]
CZÁKNÉ SZOMOR Ildikó
The information and communication policy of the European Union originated in a growing demand for information in the Member States of the European Union at the end of the 20th century. It was noticeable that there was little information available to the people, also indicated by the negative results of referendums. EU citizens knew little about the work in the EU institutions, so the EU set the goal to reduce the distance between citizens and EU institutions. The author describes the evolving information society, also effectively applied by the information and communication policy in its information activities. The rapid development of information society has also affected the daily lives of people living in the European Union Member States, thus influencing the everyday lives of Hungarian people as well. The active presence and results of the information society are illustrated by an example from Hungary: by the website of the Hungarian Parliament. One of the locations where EU information is accessible is the European Union Deposit Collection in the Library of the Hungarian Parliament, where subject specialists provide information for users interested in the EU.
Keywords: European Union; Information society; Information technology; Development plan; Webpage; Parliamentary library; Mass information
We must pay attention to them! Library services to LGBT youth
SOMORJAI Noémi
Information explosion in health care affects various groups such as gender minorities as well. Since the turn of the millennium, institutions of the European Union, the WHO, and the United Nations have published a number of prevention programmes and directives in which recommendations have been formulated to reduce discrimination against homosexual individuals. In Hungary, there is a slow change in legislation in this area. Any research on homosexuality, including collecting, analysing, and disseminating information had been considered as a taboo. As a result, there is currently a huge information gap, and those affected in the various disciplines are just starting to recognize this. Based on a review of literature, the study outlines what school and public libraries and librarians can do to provide better information to these minorities.
Keywords: Disadvantaged readers; Health literature
WORKSHOP
Facts, myths and opportunities in the world of the semantic web
HUBAY Miklós
Applying semantic web technology involves a number of challenges for many public collections. It includes a new approach, a complete transformation of the workflow of library processing, and incomprehensible IT hocus-pocus. In fact, we are witnessing a lucky convergence of library science and information technology, which is rewarding for librarians in two ways. It provides a practical application for the functional model family (FRs) developed more than two decades ago, and makes it much more convenient to build automated services based on the wealth of data in catalogues.
Keywords: Cataloguing rules; Technical processing; Machine-readable cataloguing format; Computer network; Web; BIBFRAME, RDA, RBR
News on standardization
Good news from the field of standardization. (D. Sz.) – Information on the implementation of the work plan 2015-2020 of the Hungarian Standardization Committee.
Foreword to the Hungarian edition of the basic documents of renewing library cataloguing. (Dancs Szabolcs)
Keywords: Standardization; Library and documentation standards
OBITUARY
Remembering Kornél Vajda
POGÁNY György
Kornél Vajda (1946–2019), after graduating from the Eötvös Lorand University joined the Centre for Library Science and Methodology, where he was one of the editors of the acquisition aid entitled Új Könyvek. From 1985, he edited the monthly Könyvtáros together with László Bereczky (1930-2001). After the cessation of the magazine, he became editor-in-chief of the professional journal Könyv, Könyvtár, Könyvtáros (3K) in 1992 and held this post until his retirement in 2007. His professional knowledge, wide-ranging relations, impressive erudition, ironic, grotesque style have rightly made him an outstanding journal editor of the past decades.
Keywords: Library journal; Methodological centre; Obituary; Editorial work; „Könyvtáros”; „Könyv, Könyvtár, Könyvtáros”; „Új Könyvek”
OUTLOOK
Libro de los Epitomès. A researcher’s comments on the news of having found a hiding manuscript book
Z. KARVALICS László
In April 2019, a volume containing descriptions of manuscripts (Libro de los Epitomès) from the library of Fernando Colón (1488-1539), believed to have been lost, was identified in a Danish collection. The work contains almost two thousand extracts of different sizes about different works on 2000 pages. Inspired by this discovery, the author draws attention to rethinking the traditions of book and library history from the point of information history, and provides aspects for an approach of digital humanities to historical research.
Keywords: Library history; Book history; Possessor; Provenience; Old and rare books; Ferdomamcp Colón; Biblioteca Colombo; 16th century; Libro de los Epítomes
FROM OUR PAST
25 years in the Library of the Hungarian Parliament. About the career of János Szilágyi who spent 50 years during his career in Hungarian cultural institutions
JÓNÁS Károly
This article is based on interviews, recollections and documents, and discusses the career of János Szilágyi (1926–2019), a librarian, literary and art historian, who from 1949 to 1974 was a staff member of the Library of the Hungarian Parliament, between 1955 and 1974 as a head of department. From 1975 he became a senior staff member at the Petőfi Museum of Literature and worked on cataloguing and research of writers’ legacy; he retired from there in 1986. After 1958 he published important studies on trade union libraries, the history of social democratic publishing, and the cultural activities of Hungarian trade unions. After retiring, he continued his publication activities, and remained member of several scientific societies and associations.
Keywords: Biography; History of librarianship; Library of the Hungarian Parliament; Petőfi Museum of Literature; György Vértes
Achievements of the Kovács Máté Foundation and its long-term programme
KOVÁCS Ilona
The Kovács Máté Foundation was established in 1996, and relaunched in 2002, adapted to the changes in the legal environment. Máté Kovács (1906–1972) was a librarian and cultural politician, head of the Department of Librarianship at the Eötvös Loránd University in the period 1956 through 1972.
The Foundation – in addition to preserving Máté Kovács’ intellectual heritage – wishes to support studies and continuing education of young librarians. In 2004, the Foundation launched a special fellowship to assist PhD students, and in 2011, offered a special prize to the competition organized by the Association of Hungarian Librarians named Young Librarian of the Year. The Foundation has financially supported 21 young students and researchers over the past 15 years. The work of librarians involved in promoting the intellectual heritage of Máté Kovács is recognized by the memorial plaque. The Foundation has published several conference proceedings and collections of essays in library science. In recent years, publications have mainly been published electronically on the portal of the Hungarian Electronic Library (MEK) and on the Foundation’s website. In 2017, the digitization of Máté Kovács’ articles and studies began. In 2018, the Board supporting the operation of the Foundation was extended with new members, and it continues to implement the previously planned research programme.
Keywords: Foundation; Report; Decoration; Young librarians; Support
BOOK REVIEWS
Online. The history, theory and phenomena of internet-based communication
Szűts Zoltán: Online. Az internetes kommunikáció és média története, elmélete, jelenségei (Budapest, Wolters Kluwer, 2018. 488 p.)
(Reviewed by: Máté Tóth)
Keywords: Information society; Information technology; Internet; Communication history; Computer network; Book review
The festive and regular days of the Vörösmarty Mihály Library, Székesfehérvár in pictures
125 év Székesfehérváron az olvasók szolgálatában. Fotóalbum visszaemlékezésekkel. Pillanatképek a Vörösmarty Mihály Könyvtár életéből. Szerk. Szőnyegi Hajnalka, Székesfehérvár, Vörösmarty Mihály Könyvtár, 2018. 120 p.
(Reviewed by: György Pogány)
Keywords: Photo, Library history; County library; Book review
FROM LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE JOURNALS
(Abstracts)