50. évfolyam, 2004. 4. szám

Archívum

One of the main objectives of the Hungarian library strategy focuses on the improvement of the provision of library services in small villages.

In March 2004, colleagues of the Hungarian Library Institute conducted research on the operation of the local library supply systems. The research concentrated on supply systems that meet the three following criteria:

      1)   They supply small villages

      2)   They manage centrally coordinated acquisitions

      3)   They provide other centrally organised services

The research did not include the system of branch libraries in towns and the supply systems for libraries serving ethnic minorities.

The survey was based on a questionnaire and interviews. The questionnaires dealt with the following topics: data of document supply, financing, collections including rotating deposits, work processes, services, staffing and technical equipment.

In 2003, there were 27 library supply systems operating in 11 counties and 26 cities, serving 656 villages. The research revealed that supply systems are the most popular in the Transdanubian counties of Hungary that have a great number of small settlements.

Supply systems differ from each other in respect of ownership and management of the collections, supporting authorities, as well as the scope of services.

On the basis of the ownership of the collections, the supply system can be a consortium for joint acquisitions or it can operate rotating deposit collections. A third model mixes the characteristics of these two types. As for the scope of services, supply systems can be organised around county or city libraries. As far as financing is concerned, the research revealed that although the provision of library services should be supported by the local authorities, only 35% of the operational costs of the supply systems were financed out of local government budgets.

One of the advantages of the supply systems is that in addition to the supply of documents, they also provide guidance and expertise for the libraries of small villages. However, they are still not able to ensure equal opportunities in respect of access to information. One of the outcomes of the research was that the human resource and technical conditions of the supply systems are still not satisfactory. But they do offer a solution for small villages that wish to operate the library as a real community center.

Országos Széchényi Könyvtár Észrevételek