The efforts of Ervin Szabó for the establishment of the international bibliography of social sciences

Abstract

We celebrate in 1977 the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ervin Szabó, the famous marxist sociologist, founder, organizer anf first director of the Budapest Municipal Library. Since the very beginning of his bibliographic career Ervin Szabó gave utmost attention to the establishment of the current bibliography of Hungarian and foreign social science literature. His first bibliographic publications, issued between 1902-1904 and classified already according to the Decimal Classification of Dewey, were prepared to serve this purpose: the catalog of the library of the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the volumes of Bibliographia Economica Universalis, published in co-operation with the Institut International de Bibliographie in Brussels, which earned the high appreciation of the international scientific community. In the years preceeding World War I he made further efforts to establish international co-operation and entered into relations with institutions in Berlin and in Belgium. The Municipal Library started under his management, in 1909, the annual publication of the current bibliography of Hungarian literature of social sciences.