Value-added services in the National Library ? Introduction of the new Content Provider Department of the National Széchényi Library

Sudár Annamária <>
Országos Széchényi Könyvtár



The Content Provider Department was launched on the 1st of December 2008. It was established to build different online services with high-quality graphical layout exploiting the exceptionally rich collection of the National Széchényi Library. Thematic websites introducing one area of science, lifework of an author, scientist or historic figure, are essential tools of transmission of culture (see educational materials and the necessary change of attitude of educators). These content services provide wide access to those documents which are hardly or not available for the public for instance manuscripts and other unique documents. The cyber space provides new kinds of ways for self presentation of public collections (see cooperation between institutions, announcement of contests for different age-groups).

The presentation introduces beside some other services the NYUGAT-website (http://nyugat.osz.hu) which won the complimentary title of the ?Prize-winning Multimedia Application? (eFestival? 2008). The educational material was created on the occasion of the centenary of launching the periodical provides access to archive photos, cover pages of first editions, manuscripts, and other interesting documents (posters, postcards, call papers for subscription, leaflets), some graphically renewed cover pages, short summary of the biography of 111 ?Nyugat-authors?, selected bibliography of their works, soundtracks, and chronology of the history of the periodical.

The Fairy tales about King Matthias (http://matyasmesek.oszk.hu) multimedia website -based on a database - was created on the occasion of the Renaissance Year 2008. The design of the service was inspired by the initials and illuminations of the Corvinas preserved in the National Library. These motives are symbolically connected with the legends of King Matthias in one of the illustrations created by Marcell Jankovics. This expresses the dichotomy which is well represented on the whole website: there is room for collected legends and texts by Galeotto Marzio, soundtracks of the tales presented by an actor and children, selected literary bibliography and related academic literature, miniatures about King Matthias and by contemporary engravings, in a structured environment.

In the final part of the presentation a new text oriented multimedia service will be presented which was created in honour of István Örkény. The planned website presenting literary remains of the Hungarian language for educational and scientific purposes will be shortly introduced as well.