“We aren’t dozing over dusty manuscripts…”
Everyday activity at the National Széchényi Library
MúzeumCafé 34.
The National Széchényi Library opened for readers and researchers in 1803. It was named after its founder, Count Ferenc Széchényi, who had tracked down old national book treasures and then donated his collection for public use. After the opening, other Hungarians made donations and there were many bequests. In addition it became the national deposit library, so its collection rapidly increased. Eventually the library moved from the building of the National Museum to the former Royal Palace in Buda Castle, whose post-war renovation lasted from 1959 right up to 1985. The Hungarian manuscript archive is one of the most processed among manuscript archives in Europe. Head of the archive Ferenc Földesi says: “We are not dozing over dusty manuscripts as many people may think, but trying to digitize, catalogue and thus preserve as many items as possible for future generations. We have 110,000 digital images, including 5,000 Babits photos, and we have taken 13,000 shots of all Kazinczy’s manuscripts. It would be ideal to digitize everything and have the original documents as museum pieces. This would prevent the items of the collection from being damaged while constantly being moved around.” The library is a special, interactive museum where the various documents, volumes, manuscripts and objects of use are not only looked at but taken in the hands of readers and researchers. As a result, as in every museum, the restoration workshop is one of the most important units in the Széchényi Library. Moreover, it is the biggest in Hungary. Bookbinding is also undertaken, and both restorers and bookbinders are trained. The library is a place for scholarly research. Its researchers have published 320 individual works in recent years, and the Széchényi Library has more than 25 of its own publications.