The ELTE University Library and Archives officially opened its new book vending machine to students on the 4th of December 2023 in the lobby of the Library Palace.

In his welcome speech, Dr. Péter Sziklai, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, welcomed the inauguration of the first ELTE book vending machine as another milestone in the development of the ELTE University Library and Archives. Modern technical innovations play an important role in the service, demonstrating openness to change and adaptation to technological advances. The new book check-out facility also demonstrates the University Library's commitment to the continuous expansion of its services to serve the university community.  

The Director General of the ELTE University Library and Archives, Dr. Kulcsár Szabó Ernőné Gombos Annamária, emphasized at the opening ceremony that the library's core values include openness to innovation and change in order to provide free access to information. In the last semester, with the support of the Student Union, the library’s opening hours were increased in the framework of a pilot project, which is now being maintained and extended to the end of the autumn semester and almost the entire examination period, from Monday to Friday between 9 am and 10 pm, and on Saturdays between 10 am and 10 pm.

The library aims to provide wider access by increasing the purchase of electronic literature, extending opening hours and providing automated solutions to enable students to access scientific textbooks more quickly and conveniently. The web application, the self-checkout machine, the free self-service scanning and printing all serve this purpose, including the new book acceptance machine that has just been officially inaugurated. These services are available from 7 a.m. on opening days.

The technical innovations introduced are meeting student demand, with last year's visitor numbers up 18% on the pre-pandemic peak year of 2019, and this year's numbers in the first 10 months of the year is already 22% higher than last year.

Listening to the needs of students is essential to improving library services, and the library will continue to strive to meet the needs of university citizens and readers. Thanking the ELTE Student Union for its cooperative support, the opening ceremony ended with the presentation of the book gifts hidden in the vending machines.

The ELTE University Library and Archives offers extended opening hours for readers and students on weekdays and Saturdays between the 4th of December 2023 and the 20th of January 2024 until 22.00 hours. Our training room will also be available, providing free computer access and learning opportunities.

Through our constantly expanding services, we aim to provide ELTE students with an efficient and effective learning opportunity, with the support of the Students' Union and in cooperation with the students.

The following services are available between 20.00 and 22.00 on weekdays and between 18.00 and 22.00 on Saturdays:

• study and reading in the Reading Hall and free use of computers in the training room,
• picking up books requested online during the day from the pickup locker,
• return of books using the self-lending terminal and the book deposit box (Bibliobox),
• self-service printing and photocopying using a pre-purchased card,
• free self-service scanning.

During the extended opening hours, reception and general information is provided. The lobby, the Reading Hall and the training room are open to the public only with a pre-purchased library card.

Everyone is welcome and we wish all our students a successful semester and exam period!

The Jesuit theologian, Gábor Szerdahelyi (1660–1726) related his work illustrated with natural and meteorological emblems with moral, philosophical and political explanations. The work consisting of 12 sections (dissertatio) and containing 2+82 copperplate engravings was published by Johannes Andreas in Nagyszombat (Trnava) under the title Meteorologia philosophico-politica.

The engravers included Wolfgang Joseph Kadorizi, Andreas Trost, and Andreas Matthäus Wolfgang. The question (questio) and the answer (conclusio) to it are always connected to the image with the motto. Among the Meteorologia’s sources we find ancient authors, modern natural historians and philosophers alike, as well as the wide range of natural phenomena, ranging from lightning to earthquake. 

The book is part of the book adoption program of the Foundation for the University Library. Save a book, adopt a book! For more information, please, visit our website: https://konyvtar.elte.hu/en/support-us/adopt-a-book.

RMK II 507a

Meteorologia philosophico-politica, in duodecim dissertationes per quaestiones meteorologicas et conclusiones politicas divisa, appositisque symbolis illustrata, honori inclytae regiae camerae Scepusiensis inscripta a nobili ac erudito domino Joanne Vitézy de Dobó, AA. LL., et philosophiae baccalaureo, ac pro suprema ejusdem auspicijs universam philosophiam publice propugnandam mense Junio MDCII in Alma Archi-Episcopali Universitate Tyrnaviensi susciperet. Praeside R. P. Gabriele Szerdahelyi e Societate Jesu, AA. LL. et Philosophiae doctore, ejusdemque professore ordinario.

Tyrnaviae [Trnava] : typis Academicis, per Joannem Andream Hörmann, MDCCII [1702]

The ELTE University Library and Archives will be closed due to technical reasons between the 30th of November and the 2nd of December 2023.

From Monday (4 December 2023) we are waiting for our visitors according to the usual opening hours.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

The ELTE University Library and Archives will be closed on the 24th of November 2023 due to a university event.

From Saturday (from the 25th of November 2023) we are waiting for our visitors according to the usual opening hours.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

The ELTE University Library and Archives will be temporarily closed on the 16th of November 2023 (Thursday) from 14.00 due to technical reasons.

On Friday (17 November 2023) our library will be open as usual.

Thank you in advance for your understanding.

The CHARM-EU Open Science Day program will be held for the second time on October 26, 2023, which is a continuation of the first session. You can join the event in person in ELTE's Aula Magna (1053 Budapest, Egyetem tér 1–3.) or online via the Teams platform.

University/faculty leaders, representatives of partner universities, researchers, lecturers and PhD students of partner universities, employees of the Open Science offices, and participants of Pilot 2, Pilot 3 and Pilot 4 can register for the event.

The morning session will discuss how institutions can support researchers in relation to Open Science activities, and the afternoon session will provide researchers and staff with ready-to-use skills related to Open Access publishing.

The event is free, but prior registration is required. A detailed program description and registration is available on the Charm-EU website.

More news about the event

Czeke Marianne was born on 18 October 1873 in Sopron. The talented and ambitious girl decided to study at university after her travels in England and France. After successful high school graduation in 1901, she enrolled in the Latin – French – German department of the University of Budapest. On 17 June 1905, she received his doctorate with summa cum laude and wrote his doctoral dissertation on Lessing and Shakespeare. On 24 March 1906, she was awarded a teaching diploma.

After the successful completion of her studies, she applied for a job with the Minister of Religion and Education and the Rector of the University, who accepted her application and assigned her to the University Library. The Library Committee discussed the application and supported it with the following reasons: „Dr. Mariann Czeke meets the requirements of the post in question to an excellent degree and is therefore unanimously recommended to the good will of the Board of Governors, all the more so because, as she emphasizes in her application, she feels a calling to the library profession since she has already worked in this direction at the Bibliotheque nationale. The Committee also acknowledges that women are generally fitted for the library profession; hence the considerable number of clerks in America are women; their excellent sense and regularity of cleanliness and accuracy of treatment are a great help here. But, on the other hand, it must also be pointed out that in this case we are dealing with a pioneering new career for women, and that it is therefore not for more than one case, but only for this one, that the decision and unanimous recommendation is to be made. It therefore does not wish to make it a system for the time being, but takes into account the applicant is exraordinary readiness and desire; but at the same time it is reassuring to note that the applicant as a teacher, will enter the Vlassics College and that if the experiment should fall, she will be able to transfer to the teaching profession.” (ULA, University Archives, 19.b. Minutes of the 15 June 1906.) But the experiment worked.

Marianne Czeke worked at the University Library for two decades. Her main responsibility was the management of the special Shakespeare collection, for which she published a detailed catalogue. In the meantime, she was constantly publishing, translating, and active in public life, being a member of several women’s movement associations. From 1925 she was involved in the publication of the diary of Teresa Brunszvik. Her works include, among others, the Treatises on History and Politics, Lessing and Shakespeare, Montessori's Thoughts in the Diary of Count Teresa Brunsvik, and the Life and Character of Count Teresa Brunsvik. On the occasion of the 150th anniversary, her works are now available digitally on the ELTE Digital Institutional Knowledge Library (EDIT). The first Hungarian female librarian died in 1942, aged 69.   

The life of Marianne Czeke is described in detail by Edit Fabó. The study is available: http://hdl.handle.net/10831/34135  

In the frame of the Autumn Festival of Museums, between the 13th of October and the 10th of November 2023, we invite all science and book lovers to take part in our programmes and visit our exhibition entitled Unus non sufficit orbis – One world is not enough: Hungarian Jesuits in South America.

Our guests can take part in interactive guided tours of the Eötvös exhibition, as well as guided tours of the restoration workshop and the library history. Our book presentations will give you an insight into the special treasures of our library. All visitors are welcome!

Detailed programme plan:

Secrets in the pages – Book presentation from our museum collection

A tour of our museum books will give you an insight into our library's special publications, revealing the secrets of our old printed material.

Programme dates:

13 October 2023 (Friday); 16.30-17.00

20 October 2023 (Friday); 16.30-17.00

10 November 2023 (Friday); 16.30-17.00

Restoration workshop

Guided by our restorer, guests can get a taste of paper-casting and bookbinding techniques. They will learn about the process of book disinfection and old bookbinding techniques.

Programme dates:

13 October 2023 (Friday); 10.00-11.00

13 October 2023 (Friday); 17.00-18.00

20 October 2023 (Friday); 10.00-11.00

20 October 2023 (Friday); 17.00-18.00

10 November 2023 (Friday); 10.00-11.00

10 November 2023 (Friday); 17.00-18.00

Library tour

On our library tours you can learn about the history of the ELTE University Library and Archives.

Programme dates:

19 October 2023 (Thursday); 17.00-18.00

26 October 2023 (Thursday); 17.00-18.00

2 November 2023 (Thursday); 17.00-18.00

6 November 2023 (Monday); 17.00-18.00

9 November 2023 (Thursday); 17.00-18.00

Guided tour of the Eötvös exhibition

We welcome visitors to our exhibition of Loránd Eötvös's exciting experiments and life in physics, which will engage young and old alike.

Programme dates:

19 October 2023 (Thursday); 16.00-16.45

26 October 2023 (Thursday); 16.00-16.45

2 November 2023 (Thursday);  16.00-16.45

6 November 2023 (Monday); 16.00-16.45

9 November 2023 (Thursday); 16.00-16.45

Unus non sufficit orbis – One world is not enough: Hungarian Jesuits in South America

On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the birth of György Pray, the father of Hungarian critical historiography and former director of our library, and the 250th anniversary of the abolition of the Jesuit order, we invite you to an exhibition of documents related to the missions of the Hungarian Jesuits in South America.

The exhibition offers visitors a special selection of manuscripts and printed documents. The South American continent was one of the main scenes of the Jesuit Order's flourishing in the 18th century. It was one of the most important places where the most enthusiastic and adventurous members of the Jesuit Order, including Jesuits of Hungarian origin, carried out their missionary work. If you want to know what adventures the friars had in the depths of the jungle, how they canoed down the Amazon or what experiences they had among the Indians, visit our exhibition!

The exhibition is available on weekdays between 10.00 and 15.00. Registration is possible at titkarsag@lib.elte.hu.

Programme available online:

Virtual Autumn Walks in the ELTE University Library and Archives (continuously available online programme).

Photo, audio and video recordings will be made of the events. The recordings will be published on the websites, publications, forums and social media of the participating institutions.

Due to the Cultural Heritage Days, the library services of the ELTE University Library and Archives will be inaccessible on Saturday, on the 16th of September 2023.

More details about our event are available on our website and on the official homepage of Cultural Heritage Days. All visitors are welcome!