The object of the month – Lodoicea maldivica

The 12,000-item seed collection of the ELTE Botanical Garden is a comparative collection. The lots are kept at room temperature, so most of the species are not suitable for long-term preservation - in a state capable of germinating.

The compilation of the first items can be done at the end of the 19th century, and then the significantly increased material was damaged in World War II. When Szaniszló Priszter moved to the Botanical Garden, he took over and tidied up the damaged (broken vials) collection, which received a tray cabinet made for this purpose. The cabinet was moved from the foyer of the office to the botanical room, and then in 2017 to its final location, the upstairs core room.

The collection continues to grow to this day, for example, in recent years, a huge sea bean (Entada rheedii) with pods similar to a pea, almost half a meter long, and a Maldivian nut (Lodoicea maldivica), which can reach 25 kilograms in its habitat, as a gift from András Neményi. In the meantime, the collection, which continues to grow to this day, has also outgrown the closet. In 2015, with the participation of volunteers, the construction of the photographic database of the collection began, as well as the digitization of its data, which continues with the involvement of volunteers and university students.

Written by László Papp

EBSCO's Customer Training Specialist, Tibor Foltinsky conducts an online training for librarians, who can thus provide effective assistance to researchers and library visitors in the search for scientific information and can also hold training sessions for interested users.

The purpose of the webinar is to get to know the EBSCOhost platform, to present its special functions, and to explain search strategies.

Webinar language: English

Date: November 7, 2023, 3 p.m

Duration: 1 hour

Location: Teams Meeting

Join the meeting

István Illyés (1650–1711/1712), the author of our adoptable book, was born in 1650 in Csíkszentgyörgy (Ciucsângeorgiu) in Szeklerland, as the younger brother of András Illyés, later bishop of Transylvania. He was educated in his native village, at the Franciscan school of Csíksomlyó (Șumuleu Ciuc), then in Ungvár (Uzhhorod), Szepes (Spiš) and Pozsony (Bratislava).

As an alumnus of the Pázmáneum, he studied in Vienna from 1672, where he obtained a master's degree. He completed his theological studies at the German-Hungarian College in Rome, after which he was ordained a priest (1677). On his return to Hungary he held several posts (e.g. parish priest of Nádszeg [Trstice]), canon of Esztergom and parish priest of Somorja (Šamorín) in 1688, archdeacon of Hont in 1689, archdeacon of Zólyom (Zvolen) in 1690, provost of Szenttamás (Србобран) in 1691, and later abbot of Szentjobb (Sâniob). In 1693, he became custos of Esztergom, in 1696 cantor, in 1707 lector, in 1708 grand provost of Esztergom, then vicar general and bishop of Szendrő (Smederevo). He died in 1711 or 1712. 

The first edition of the Készület a jól meghaláshoz (’Preparation for Dying Well’) was published in 1693 by the Academy Press in Nagyszombat (Trnava), together with his psalms and funeral hymns, but a second, slightly revised edition was published in the same year (the University Library's copy contains the latter edition). After the greeting of the readers, the author presents in two parts how Christians should prepare for death: the first part deals with the necessary actions in a healthy age, the second with those necessary in sickness. Each of these two parts is divided into 10 further chapters. More than half of the volume is taken up by subsequent prayers, which are also necessary to prepare for death: a creed, a prayer for forgiveness of sins, a prayer against the fear of death, a prayer to the guardian angel and Mary, prayers for the terminally ill, etc. The whole work concludes with the text of the Litany of Loreto before the list of errors and contents. 25 leaves are bound behind the print (later hands numbered the leaves in pencil), on which several 17th-18th century hands inscribed prayers in Hungarian and Latin. The subjects of the hand-written prayers are diverse: a sinner's prayer to Mary; a powerful prayer to be said every nine days; a prayer for the peace of the Church and the kingdom; a rosary of the Holy Trinity against pestilence; a prayer to Jude the Apostle and Saint John of Nepomuk. 

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 visit our website: https://konyvtar.elte.hu/en/support-us/adopt-a-book

RMK I 346

Illyés István

Készület a’ jól meg-haláshoz, szép oktatásokkal, bíztatásokkal, főfő jószágos cselekedetek gyakorlásával, imádságokkal, és Istenhez-való fohászkodásokkal, fel-készíttetett, és először francziául, az-után olaszul, és deákül bévebben : most pedig Illyés István … által, magyarul rövidebben, és némely változással, ’s néhol hozzá-adással is, ki-bocsáttatott, a halandók, és halálos betegségben vonakodók vigasztalására, segédelmére, és az őket vigasztalók üdvösséges foglalatosságára

Nyomtattatot Nagyszombatban : az Academiai bötükkel Hörman János által, M. DC. XCIII. [1693] esztendőben

In agreement with the partner publishers, Arcanum Adatbázis Kiadó Kft. has offered free trial access to the databases available on the SZAKTÁRS platform.

Until December 31, 2023, all citizens of ELTE will have access to the full-text content of all databases on the SZAKTÁRS platform, either directly through the university's internet network or via VPN service. E-books of Hungarian publishers are available on the SZAKTÁRS platform.

Publishers

Akadémiai Digitális Archívum (subscribed)

Argumentum Kiadó (subscribed)

Attraktor (subscribed)

Balassi Kiadó (subscribed)

Gondolat Kiadó (subscribed)

Kalligram Kiadó (trial access)

Kortárs Kiadó (trial access)

Kriterion Kiadó (trial access)

Kronosz Kiadó (trial access)

Magyar Napló Kiadó (trial access)

Mentor Könyvek Kiadó (trial access)

MMA Kiadó (trial access)

Múlt és Jövő Kiadó (trial access)

Nap Kiadó (trial access)

Napvilág Kiadó (subscribed)

Osiris Kiadó (subscribed)

Szaktudás Kiadó Ház (trial access)

Szent István Társulat (trial access)

Tarsoly Kiadó (trial access)

Tinta Kiadó (subscribed)

TIT Gondolat Kiadó (trial access)

Vince Kiadó (trial access)

On the 19th of October 2023, the ELTE Alumni Centre organised a successful event entitled "The University Opens its Doors" in the ELTE University Library.

The ELTE alumni were given guided tours of the library. In the frame of our programmes the visitors could learn about the pneumatic mail, get an insight into our Reading Hall, our Historical Storeroom and the Director General's Room, where they could admire a copy of the Perczel globe.

During the library tour, our guests were able to learn new information about the sgraffito in the lobby, the ceiling frescoes in the Reading Hall with muses representing the sciences and arts, and the painting by Mór Than. Our book launch from the material of our museum collection revealed the pages of our book collections, while the guided tour at our Eötvös Exhibition gave visitors an insight into the life and work of the physicist.

For more details about our library and our programmes, please visit our website. You can see our virtual library tour here. All visitors are welcome!

Two hundred and fifty years ago, in 1773, Pope Clement XIII dissolved the Jesuit order, accelerating the process of the university's transfer to the state. Between 1635 and 1773, many distinguished Jesuits of great knowledge taught at our university, leaving a lasting mark on the history of the institution. In October our feature is on László Sennyey, a former university lecturer, rector and head of our library.

László Sennyey was born in 1631 in Kistárkány, Zemplén county. He entered the Jesuit order in 1648. From 1666 he was a theology professor at the University of Nagyszombat. He was rector of the University of Nagyszombat three times: from 1671 to 1675, from 1686 to 1690, and from 1700 to 1702. In 1691 he was the head of the University Library. He visited Rome serveral times and wrote accounts of his travels. During his rectorship of the University he kept a diary, which he began in 1686, the year Buda was liberated from the Turks. The diary is now in the manuscript collection of our library. László Sennyey died on 12 January 1703 in Nagyszombat.  

Picture: signature of László Sennyey as rector of the University of Nagyszombat (Coll. Pray 20. 207.) 

EBSCO has offered a trial access to the MLA International Bibliography with Full Text database. The testing period begins on October 18, 2023, and runs until December 31, 2023. The database is accessible through the EBSCOhost platform.

This resource combines an extensive collection of full-text journals with the definitive index for the study and teaching of language, literature, linguistics, rhetoric, writing studies, folklore, film, theater and other dramatic arts. Users gain access to the MLA’s essential database, free online teaching tools and a deep full-text collection that includes backfiles to the first issue for dozens of full-text journals.

Database statistics: 1 202 full-text journals; 841 full-text, non-open access journals; 645 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non-open access journals; 309 active full-text, peer-reviewed, non-open access journals with no embargo.

The ELTE University Library and Archives was represented at the unveiling of a memorial plaque in Sopron, the hometown of Dr. Marianne Czeke, the first Hungarian librarian who worked at our institution for two decades, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of her birth.

At the initiative of Zalán Biczó, local librarian and historian, the valuable and substantial life's work of Marianne Czeke, PhD was commemorated in the library of the Evangelical Parish of Sopron, by her biographers Klára Gráberné Bősze and Edit Fabó. Judit Gerencsér, Deputy Director General of the National Széchényi Library and President of the Association of Hungarian Librarians, gave a speech on behalf of the Association of Hungarian Librarians in front of the memorial plaque unveiled at her birthplace in Sopron. In his speech, Mayor Ciprián Farkas also praised the work of the librarian and thanked the sponsors of the plaque.

The supporters of the memorial plaque are Zalán Biczó, librarian of the Széchenyi István University University Library and Archives, the Association of Our Homeland Győr, the Association of Librarians and Libraries of the Kisalföld Region and the Association of Hungarian Librarians.

For more details on the life and work of Marianne Czeke, please visit our website.

At the third quarterly report of the K21 Quality Coordination Committee 2023, the leaders of the working groups reported on the results of the past quarter, ongoing work and changes.

The reports on the Electronic Content Usage Survey and the ELTE Staff Survey, prepared with the assistance of the Primary Research Working Group, were unanimously adopted. The data for the 2023 Student Needs and Satisfaction Survey have been aggregated and the analysis is in progress. Preparations are underway for the revision of the Quality Management Manual.

The Process Management Working Group has finalised the consolidation of the tasks in the Task Catalogue, and the process inventory and the definition of key processes will be prepared in the future.

The Communication Working Group provided information on the tasks and achievements of the K21 Quality Coordination Committee through our website, newsletter and short film entitled „3 months – 3 minutes”, and contributed to the success of the preparation and administration of the K21 reporting days meetings. News was published about the University Library Service's honourees, as well as the functioning and services of the ELTE Library Network for first-year students.

The Green Library Working Group will organise an awareness training for the staff of the University Library Service in the autumn.

The library managers held two meetings in the third quarter to discuss, among other issues, the lessons learned from the survey on the use of electronic content, the 2024 EISZ orders, the ELTE staff survey report and current issues.

The staff of the University Library Service participated in a strategy workshop this summer. Joint work is planned to continue early next year. The review of quality objectives is ongoing.

An update on the achievements of the K21 Quality Coordination Committee and our new developments will be posted on our website soon.

The object of the month – Statue of Miklós Radnóti made by Imre Varga

The bronze statue of Miklós Radnóti leaning against the railing and looking in front of him is a scaled-down copy of the life-size statue of Radnóti in Mohács in 1970 by the Kossuth Prize-winning sculptor Imre Varga (1923–2019). Size: 48 x 40 x 24 cm.

Miklós Radnóti’s name was adopted by our school in 1959, on the 50th anniversary of the poet’s birth.

In 1985, on the 25th anniversary of the naming, Radnóti’s statue became the property of the school, from a teacher’s donation. The statue stands in the hall on the ground floor of ELTE Radnóti Miklós Primary School and High School, on its marble pedestal you can read the last two lines of Miklós Radnóti’s poem „Őrizz és védj”.

Compiled by Hedvig Kocsis