46. évfolyam, 2000. 1-2. szám

Archívum

The author analyses the past 50 years dividing it into three periods: the heroic age (1949–1952), the 70s (1968–1977) and the last years (1985–1998). In the heroic age the People’s Library Centre played an important role, that used to be the methodological leader of small (people’s libraries) helping the work of district libraries by central acquisition, processing, training, and methodological guidance. In 1952 government decree was passed on the development of the library system, according to which the system of public libraries had to follow that of the administrative units. Central tasks and services had become the responsibility of the National Széchényi Library, and the methodological department founded there.
He considers the seventies the golden age of development, when the public library system was renewed (cf. the article by István Sallai in KF. 1999. 2.), professional guidelines were elaborated, provision systems had come into being, libraries were built, and a unified library system was developed.
For the past fifteen years, and especially after the political change, the number of libraries decreased, small libraries, incapable of surviving, were closed down, and meanwhile acquisition started to stagnate due to financial restraints. The act of local administration made community governments responsible for the maintenance of libraries, without giving them normative budgetary resources. Therefore it had become very difficult to maintain the traditional level of provision. Town libraries were characterised by increasing demand and in-house use, and the service attitude strengthened in librarians. The most important event of this period was the elaboration of the cultural (library) law in 1997. 

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek (2001/04/19)