46. évfolyam, 2000. 1-2. szám

Archívum

In the past years, public libraries have undergone many changes: the collection of books and journals offered has changed, and so did the sources of acquisition. The composition, mentality and demands of users towards library services have all been altered, and it had turned out that libraries are full of non-used material. Resources for daily operations, acquisition, and automation must be supplemented from applications, through clever negotiations. It means that the librarians’ attitude must also change to a great extent. In the past the state created possibilities for libraries by giving them money for books, the publication of which were allowed by the same state. Though Hungarian publishing was of a high niveau, it worked under political control up till 10-15 years ago. The publishing of documentary novels, memories, reports was started offering a very great choice of books and journals. Librarians realised that acquisitions have to be speeded up, and stricter selection is required, more items of the old collections must be weaned out, and the available resources must be used very cleverly in contrast to high book and journal prices. Meanwhile the same level of offers must be maintained for readers, and it had to be accepted that videos (their loan being a means of raising incomes) attract viewers as well to the library. The space and the collection also had to be organised differently. Family libraries offered a new solution, the essence of which is the formation of broader categories of reading matter (entertainment, esoterica, etc.), and more cosy, smaller rooms were offered for reading. The former educator role of the librarian started to fade away. Community information services emerged, in which the librarian did not only have to provide bibliographic and factographic data, but also had to aid finding ones way in everyday life. Dealing with the elderly, unemployed, homeless, and other groups of „problem users” also required a shift of attitudes. The public librarian’s role, if played well, involves not only acquisition and selection skills, the knowledge of literature, but – when it comes to raising funds and writing applications – also being good at economics, and a good manager, while s/he is also a good teacher or special educator, an erudite critic, and a good cultural manager as well. 

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek (2001/04/19)