The tasks of the Hungarian Central Technical Library and Documentation Centre (OMKDK) in the field of information and its development in the new system of economic management

Abstract

The Hungarian Central Technical Library and Documentation Centre (OMKDK), one of the oldest central information institutes in Hungary, has been engaged in documentation and information activities for twenty years. The majority of this work is being conducted and administered by the Directorate of Documentation. The staff of the Directorate includes 87 internal and 2000 external members. Its documentation activity consists in continuous reviewing and processing scientific and technical literature (mainly journal articles), both foreign and Hungarian; its annual output may be estimated at some 120.000 abstracts and tltle translations, published in 14 series of the OMKDK's abstracting journal or distributed by its card service. It also compiles special bibliographles covering some 400 subject flelds annually. The translation department produces technical translations, its annual output being 23.000 to 24.000 items on some 550.000 standard typed pages (2000 en-s each) which are available to order. Besides these documentation activities, conducted from the very outset, from 1955 onward the Directorate has built up other specialized information services, as well. Thus, e.g., its SDI-system covers some 1800 highly specialized subject fields and keeps its customers informed of the current literature published in their respective field. Its periodical and occasional publications are much in demand. These publications offer what is called "full information", giving selections from the professional literature in a form which is generally capable of making the study or translation of the original text unnecessary. Such monthly information bulletins are published in 7 technical and 5 technical-economic subject fields. Its monthly bulletin "Technical-Economic Information" publishes 6 to 7 major studies on technical and economic problems which may claim nation-wide interest. In its series "Thematical Reviews", which has been published in almost 100 volumes over the psst decade, each volume contains a review of the selected literature of a specialized field in a digest-like form. Since 1967 OMKDK has also been publishing analytic studies in the series "Ontlines in Technical Pevelopmeent and "Main Trends of Technical and Economic Development in the form of separate volumes.
The new syetem of economic management, introduced in Hungary in 1968, raises increased demands for the development of information services. That really needsmajor improvement and development is the supply of information to help the work both of top economic bodies and of industrial companies (and institutes). Planning the development of the technical and economic information system in an up-to-date manner is prompted by and based on market relations, since scientific information has been recently, looked upon as a commodity which is subject to sale and purchase, and thue information centres have, more and more, to subsist on retuns from their sales. The article tends to contect the soundness of this principle for the entire field of information services. It is rather inclined to consider what is called "active documentation", simed at promoting the technological culture, as a state task of scientific and technological policy. It proposes that the current information services be divided into services of commodity and non-commodity nature.