KONYVTAR.HU: a place for readers and librarians to meet
Kardos András <>
Régijó Kft / Könyvtári Intézet
Füzessi Károly <>
Mosfet Kft. / Könyvtári Intézet
Ládi László <>
OSZK, Könyvtári Intézet
In the spring of 2008 the Library Institution submitted a tender application to the National Fund of Culture in order to develop an interactive website. The main idea of our work has been to develop a portal which can provide the most complex information possible by the usage of Web 2.0 applications. The aim of the development is the construction of a simple, logical and easy-to-use portal. We did our best to achieve the easiest access possible.
The aim of the konyvtar.hu (library do Hungary) portal is to host a cooperating community of readers and librarians, and to "open a door", to the various resources available in the country's libraries. We provide information on almost all Hungarian libraries, and the ones hosting Hungary-related materials in the nearby countries, and make it possible for these libraries to correct and update their information, and to add their news and events to our database. Based on personal settings and geolocation we display all this to the relevant audience.
Besides information on libraries, we have an efficient catalog search interface, make it possible to create and share virtual shelves, display relevant book summaries, and host a professional LIS wiki - which acts as a "help file" for our site too. Readers can see all their loans from multiple libraries at one place and have email and SMS notification on due dates. Small libraries can use their profile on our site as their homepage since it contains all necessary information, as contacts, maps, pictures, news/events and access to their catalog in most cases - all update by the library itself.
The portal is under continuous development, and as such will host or integrate additional services - usable by any library as their own - in the near future. The first such addition will be the national book crossing game organized by the Justh Zsigmond Library of Orosháza - which will continue as a part of the site.