Operations for the automation of the library started in 1980.10 The philosophy behind this was that, in accordance with the academy's interdisciplinary character, computer services should start with an interdisciplinary database. The practical approach required services to start with scientific information, where sufficient demand could be expected to justify them. Unlike basic library services, comput-erized information services were planned to be charged for. There are two reasons for this. In the first place, the LHAS needs to produce some income to supplement its allocation of money. Secondly, in market economies and in countries working towards them, experience indicates that, apart from public services, free services have no prestige, and their usefulness cannot be measured.
This second reason was considered just as important as the first. In view of the interdisciplinary nature of the academy, the Science Citation Index of the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia was chosen for offline processing be-cause of its value for research information and speed. The construction of science profiles is carried out by an expert group. After an experimental period, a subscrip-tion system was introduced for ASCA and ASCATOPICS. This was gradually extended to other databases, such as MEDLINE, Dissertation Abstracts and CD-ROM databases. The concept and label of "information galaxy" were provided by Professor Tibor Braun, Deputy Director-General of the LHAS, who is also sponsible for the organization of SCI-based scientometric investigations and re-searches in Hungary. These investigations and rere-searches are sometimes referred to in professional literature as the "Budapest school"; its main product is the international journal Scientometrics. Scientometric researches are based on infor-mation services and not on isolated (and consequently very expensive) researches.
CD-ROM databases were introduced in Hungary by the LHAS. The galaxy built on these is illustrated in Figure 1.
Most of the computer-based information services are provided on subscription.
However, they can still not be regarded as real profit-making undertakings. They supplement the budget allocated to the library, and demonstrate to the competent authorities that, besides its indirect science support function, the LHAS can or-ganize programmes that generate income directly. Such programmes are already carried out by the LHAS, besides the computer-assisted services, through (e.g.) the microfilm laboratory.
An extension of the subscription services, to cover the social sciences, is in progress, it is based on SSCI. Besides this interdisciplinary database access is provided to specialized databases, e.g. in the fields of economics and sociology.
Gondoiaiok a konyvtarban "
Figure 1: L H A S information galaxy
CASSIS: Information on North American Patents DAO: Dissertation Abstracts Ondisk
FIRST: European Patent Applications on CD-ROM INIS: International Nuclear Information System LOC: Library of Congress Catalogue
SCI: Science Citation Index SSCI: Social Science Citation Index
The computerized database, established within the framework of MISON (Insti-tute of Scientific Information in Social Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences) and operated at INION (Institute of Scientific Information in Social Sciences) in Moscow, is the result of cooperation in these subjects by academies of science in Central and East European countries." This database functions with a decentralized input and is large, containing nearly one million records. However, it struggles with the organizational and technical difficulties that are common in the region.
Progress is expected in the exchange of social science databases within the framework of European Co-operation in Social Science Information and Docu-mentation (ECSSID);12 the recent changes in Eastern and Central Europe already point the way towards integrated information services. This is the target of the
ECSSID VI Conference, to be convened in March 1991 at the University of Kent in Canterbury; the theme of the conference is "Social change and information systems in Europe: innovation, development and integration". The LHAS plays an active role in all these programmes.
Information provided online and on CD-ROMs is available free of charge for researchers of the LHAS in the reading room.13 This reading room, which has 140 seats and 4 carrels, contains on open access to a reference collection of about 18,000 volumes and 1,300 issues of current journals.
The latest development in the automation programme is the automation of library "housekeeping" operations. This is based on a mainframe IBM 9377 computer, to which IBM/PC machines are linked. At the same time, this is the basis of the scientific information system, and one of the focal points of the planned national information system. In this enterprise the LHAS cooperates with the National Széchényi Library, which is equipped with the same type of main-frame computer. Electronic mail comprises part of this integrated information system. Preparations are under way to introduce DOBIS-LIBIS.14 Automation already functions in some areas, such as interlibrary lending, international ex-change of publications and recording of duplicates. The cataloguing system is naturally in the centre of the automation programme. Since 1 January 1986, cataloguing has been carried out according to international standards for machine-readable catalogue records, and automation of the system starts in 1991. The subject catalogue will be automated partly according to UDC, long in use at the LHAS, but with certain modifications and the introduction of subject headings.
A special academic database is being continuously developed; this simulta-neously fulfils additional national bibliographic functions. This is the catalogue of postgraduate candidate and postgraduate doctoral dissertations. This will be acces-sible online internationally with English titles and subject headings.
The complex library automation programme is planned to be operational by 1992. This will complete the modernization of the LHAS, providing the oppor-tunity for it to join the integrated information system of a Common Europe.
Appendix
There are at present 40 Academy special research libraries (for linguistics, history of science, chemistry, nuclear physics, geography, etc.), with collections number-ing 5,000-100,000 volumes and a variety of information functions. The sum total of their holdings numbers some 1,5 million units.
The collections of the LHAS approach 2 million units. There are c. 1 million Gondolatok a könyvtárban "
books, nearly 300,000 periodical volumes (5,500 current titles), and c. 600,000 manuscripts; microfilms and 100,000 archival units complete the holdings. The special collections include 1,200 incunabula, 6,500 volumes of Hungarian books published before 1711 and other old and rare books.
Total holdings number about 3,5 million units.
References
1. Line, Maurice B.: Do we need National Libraries, and if so, what sort? An assessment in the light of and analysis of national library and information needs.
In: Alexandria, 2(2), July 1990, pp. 27-38.
2. Hunt, Christopher, J.: A university library with a national function: the British Library of Political and Economic Science and library provision for the social sciences in the UK.
In: Alexandria, 2(2), July 1990, pp. 61-69.
3. Utasítás a M. Academiai Könyvtár tisztviselői számára, összeállította Toldy Ferenc. [Rules for the Academy Library's officials. Compiled by Ferenc Toldy.] Budán, 1848.
4. Térjék, József: Collection of Tibetan MSS and xylographs of Alexander Csorna de Kőrös.
Budapest, 1976.
5. Microcard catalogue of the rare Hebrew codices, manuscripts and ancient prints in the Kauf-mann collection, reproduced on microcards. Ed. by Rezső Gergely. Budapest, 1959.
6. Rásonyi, László: Sir Aurél Stein and his legacy.
In: New Hungarian Quarterly, (2), 1961, pp. 217-224.
7. Bükyné Horváth, Mária: Az Akadémiai Könyvtár kurrens külföldi periodikum állománya az 1970-es években. A hazai akadémiai kutatás szakirodalmi információ igénye. [Holdings of foreign periodicals in the 1970s in the LHAS. Research requirements for specialized infor-mation.] Budapest, 1977.
8. György, József: Die Goethe-Sammlung Balthasar Elischers in der Bibliothek der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaflen. Budapest, 1963.
Simon, Robert: Ignác Goldziher: his life and scholarship as reflected in his works and corre-spondence. Budapest-Leiden, 1986. (see also ref. 4)
9. Publications of the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Bibliography. Budapest, 1986.
10. Rózsa, György and Braun, Tibor: A szakirodalmi információ korszerűsítése a Magyar Tu-dományos Akadémián. [Modernization of specialized information at the HAS.]
In: Magyar Tudomány, 12, 1978, pp. 910-917.
11. 1976-1986: 10 Jahre Internationales System für gesellschaflliche Information. Berlin, 1986.
12. Rózsa, György: European co-operation in social science information and documentation: a process of maturation.
In: International Social Science Journal, 3, 1981, pp. 559-565.
13. The files available are: McGraw Hill Technical Encyclopedia; Grolier American Academic Encyclopedia; Ulrich's Periodicals Directory; Bibliofile/Library of Congress Catalogue.
14. DOBIS/LIBIS. Version 2. Librarian's guide. Part 1, On-line operation release. 1st edition (Aug. 1988.) IBM Corporation, 1988.