Examination of supply with special literature in building

Abstract

The examination reveals the main features of the acquisition and distribution among the institutions of foreign technical books and periodioals in Hungary. Two pattern lists have been compiled for the purpose of the examination. The books were selected from the national bibliographies of four international languages - English, German, French and Russian - the list of the periodicals was, however, compiled with the aid of four international catalogues of periodical - and special abstracting journals. Both these lists related to 1969. The books listed were divided into eight special fields. Their locations in the various libraries were determined on the basis of central national catalogues. The quantity of the books purchased was found to be smaller than that in other special fields examined previously (sociology, geology etc.). Only a quarter of the books are available in the Hungarian collections (the share of the acquisition of books in German is much greater than that in English). The over-whelming part of the books is concentrated in a few libraries in ths capital: nine-tenths of the bookstock can be found in Budapest. Almost half of the 921 items of the perlodicals are purchaced in five copies for each item on the average. Four-fifths of all copies arrive at the capital and 97 per cent of the assortment can be found here in contrast with 35 per cent in the country. The information supply of the country can expediently be improved by strengthening the local basis on one hand and by the more intensive information activities of central institutions on the other. The results of the examination can profitably contribute the improvement of the co-operation between libraries commanding the foreign basis of building documents.