47. évfolyam, 2001. 4. szám

Archívum

Though there are several projects the aim of which is to establish central cataloguing in Hungary, no system offering permanent services has come into being. MOKKA (Magyar Országos Közös Katalogizálás - Hungarian National Union Cataloguing) is one of the most important projects in the frame of which the union catalogue has been organised, and a test version of the system started. The other is the system of libraries using the Corvina integrated system called VOCAL. The Amicus system of the National Széchényi Library became operational in 2001, being the integrated system of three libraries. Beside those mentioned, there are other cooperative schemes embracing a smaller group of libraries (e.g. Theca among the TinLib libraries, the union catalogue of ecclesiastical libraries, KözelKat, cooperation between libraries using OLIB, ALEPH, Szirén, etc.) The most important characteristics of the three main systems (MOKKA, VOCAL, Amicus), such as number of participants, number of bibliographic and authority records, number of documents, time limits, software, hardware, search interface, duplicate control, internal data exchange format, import and export data exchange format, number of uploading and downloading libraries, database, character set, etc., were summarized in a table. As data are analysed, more recent trends in the development of Hungarian librarianship have been observed that reinforce libraries' efforts to create a union catalogue system in which members were able to utilize bibliographic data input in the system. There is need for making special documents available in the frames of interlibrary lending. (At present the VOCAL programme is able to perform the functions required by the National Document Supply System).

The unified cataloguing system of state maintained libraries, based upon unified principles, is still to be realised. The use of different MARC formats presents one of the greatest obstacles. The National Széchényi Library and the Metropolitan Ervin Szabó Library use HUNMARC, while the majority of academic libraries use a type of USMARC which is, in turn different from the standard USMARC format used by MOKKA, though compatible with the requirements of the VOCAL system.

The conception of MOKKA should be reconsidered, it should be investigated if the records of the participating libraries ought to be included in a single central database, or a virtual union catalogue is to be established using the three major systems. The problem of different data exchange formats has to be solved, too, etc. The study offers of possible plan for development.

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek