The state and development of the application of optical coincidence cards in Hungary

Abstract

The article goes back to the beginnings of the use of manual punched cards in Hungary. The authors establish the fact that edge-notched cards were the first to be used. They examine the causes which hindered the spread of manual punched cards, and also the needs having led to their rapid development at a later date.

Then an outline is given of the activities of the Hungarian Central Technical Library and Documentation Centre (OMKDK) directed towards the production, propagation, and diffusion of Hungarian-made optical coincidence (peek-a-boo feature) cards. The article gives a brief description of the technical details of OMKDK optical coincidence cards and the equipment necessary to their operation.

Supplying facts and figures, the article also examines the current use of optical coincidence card information retrieval systems – giving particular attention to their use in literature search it surveys OMKDK's efforts to diffuse and organize the use of such card systems, and outlines further possibilities of the spreading of optical coincidence card systems.