ASSOCIATION OF HUNGARIAN LIBRARIANS
(MAGYAR KÖNYVTÁROSOK EGYESÜLETE)
General data
The Association of Hungarian Librarians (AHL) is a national, non-governmental,
non-profit organisation of librarians and other information professionals, libraries and
information institutes.
Address: H-1054 Budapest, Hold u. 6.
Phone/Fax: (36-1) 311-8634
Email: mke@oszk.hu
Year of foundation: 1935.
Membership
The Association has 2200 individual and 60 institutional members. Every member is
registered in different regional or special sections (or more sections at the same time).
Objectives
- to assist the shaping and implementation of national library and information policy
- to further professional competence of librarians
- to safeguard the interests of librarians, libraries and other information institutes
- to promote co-operation and work-share of libraries and information institutes; and to
advise libraries in their relations with maintainers (governmental, local and other
institutes), and other political, social or professional bodies
- to promote co-operation both on national and international levels, including Hungarian
librarians beyond the borders.
Activities and services
- organising and sponsoring lectures, conferences, training courses, study tours and other
events
- taking part in committees set up by the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage;
reporting on library and/or librarians related acts
- preparing professional recommendations and issuing different publications
- supporting the participation of the Association' members at foreign conferences, study
tours, gaining scholarships, assisting their professional development by competitions
- informing members and the general public about the Association's activities, as well as
the current professional subjects.
Officers (term: 2003-2007)
Members of the Association are grouping into local organisations (according to
workplaces, generally in the counties - 20), and into professional organisations
(according to the types of libraries, library activities and common interested areas -
11). A member can be registered in more than one organisation and enforce of his/her
rules.
Professional branches at present
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- Bibliography Section
- Children's Library Section
- Organisation of Local Studies
- Association of Librarian-teachers
- Association of Public Libraries
- Agricultural Librarian Section
- Technical Librarian Section
- Reference Librarian Section
- Social Science Libraries Section
- Music Librarians Sections
- Section of "IT Librarians"
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The Association may have independent associations also; those are connecting as
attached organisations to the Association of Hungarian Librarians.
Behind the above mentioned meetings and services, the activities of the association
(meetings, training courses, co-operations) are mostly organised by the branches
themselves.
Steering bodies
- General Assembly (the highest decision-making body of the Association)
- Board (leader and organiser of the Association's activities - 9 members)
- Council (consists of the representatives of the branches, the advisory body of the board
and it assures the relationship with the branches - 31 members)
- Supervisory Committee (5 members)
2010 WLIC - Gothenburg
Annual conferences
The most important and attractive professional meetings of the Association are the
annual conferences held with the participation of 6-800 librarians at different regions of
the country. The annual meeting focuses on the most important and discussed issues of
library and information science. Data on recent annual conferences:
- 1995. Eger: The library and its owner. Questions of library maintenance
- 1996. Debrecen: Library-communication-society
- 1997. Kecskemét: Services, fees, sponsoring
- 1998. Salgótarján: Co-operation of libraries to serve the information society
- 1999. Pápa: The author, the publisher, the bookseller and the library. Tradition and
modernity
- 2000. Esztergom: Our National Traditions and the modern service-based libraries
- 2001. Nyíregyháza: School in the Libraries and Library in the schools
- 2002. Budapest: The Nation and its
Library
- 2003. Nagykanizsa: Library - a Gateway to World
- 2004. Miskolc
National conferences
- 1995: Trends in LIS education in Hungary
What does the Internet mean for libraries?
- 1996: Co-operation in Hungary and in Europe
Union catalogues in the age of automation
- 1997: Multimedia in culture and in libraries
Hungarian librarianship in the first decade of the third millennium - strategies and
tasks
- 1998: The legal status and tasks of the Library Institute
Copyright and libraries; Non-public libraries and the librarian law.
International conferences
- September 1995: Seminar on library legislation (in co-operation with the CE)
- January 1992 - 1998: BOBCATSSS conferences (in co-operation with the Hogeschool
Amsterdam LIS Department)
- September 1997: Public libraries for a new Europe (in co-operation with Goethe-Institut
and Institute Francaise Budapest)
- May 1999: Copyright and libraries. The users' rights (in co-operation with EBLIDA, the
EU Office for Libraries, Information and Documentation Institutes).
Courses
- Internet courses on starting and advanced levels (regularly)
- Seminar on copyright issues (February 1996, in co-operation with British Council)
- Libraries and the electronic environment (May 1998, with Goethe Institute and Institute
Francaise)
- Ca. 20 professional courses and training programmes organised by local and professional
branches of the Association
- Training courses organised on current subjects
International co-operations
- IFLA (International Federation of Librarian Associations and Institutions) - Full
national member since 1938.
- EBLIDA - Associated member since 1997.
- Regular co-operation with partner associations of neighbouring countries, and other
European countries; and Hungarian cultural associations working beyond the borders.
Fellowship - tours
- Gombocz Fellowship (Kent State University, Ohio, USA), post-graduate studies for one
young professional per year (1972-1993); as a part of Fulbright Fellowship 1994-1998.
- Organising and supporting individual and group study tours, using international
connections.
- newsletter
- mailing lists
- MKE Organisations maillist
- MKE open list
- home page
- participation in the editorial board of the 'Könyv, könyvtár, könyvtáros' library
journal
Information for members, newcomers
and those who interested in joining us