University Library Service

ELTE University Library Service (ULS)

The library network of the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) has altogether about 4.3 million documents. The University Library Service (ULS), the ELTE library network was formed in 2009 and consists of faculty, institute, department, and dormitorylibraries. The ULS was awarded the title ’Qualified Library’ in 2018.Its governing body is the Library Council. The collections of the libraries are accessible via the electronic catalogue. The Libraries have their own rules, so their opening hours and services may vary. Information regarding these are available on their own websites.

Website The website of the University Library Service (ULS) provides a wide range of information on the ELTE collection. From the homepage direct access is also offered to the websites of the ELTE member libraries.
Online catalogue – katalogus.elte.hu; opac.elte.hu
The online catalogue provides information on documents available in the ULS member libraries, including books, journals, special collections, and contains data on nearly 1.7 million documents. The online catalogue also offers direct access to electronic documents uploaded by libraries or available through University subscriptions.
ELTE Digital Institutional Repository (EDIT)
Repository and archive of documents published and preserved at the university.
ELTE Library WebApp
A library web application for mobile devices developed by the University Library and Archives and made available to faculty libraries, allowing online registration, tracking of library memberships and loans, as well as online credit card payments.
Register membership online
Checking loans
Available databases
Remote access
MTMT administration
Adapted materials
ELTE Library Browser

ELTE University Library and Archives

Library

The University Library and Archives of the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), honoured with the Hungarian Heritage Award in 2018, is a scholarly institution assisting learning, teaching and research at the Eötvös Loránd University. It is a special library open to the public, and at the same time the centre of the network of libraries belonging to the University, managing the IT background of library services. It is coordinating shared cataloguing and database building, the development of online services, and supports cooperation by counselling, and internal training. The predecessor of the University Library, the library of the Jesuit college of Nagyszombat, was founded in 1561 by Miklós Oláh, archbishop of Esztergom. It has become a university collection in 1635 when Péter Pázmány, the archbishop of Esztergom, founded the University of Nagyszombat. You may find further information on the history of the library here.

The collection

With its nearly 2 million documents the University Library has become the third largest library of the Hungarian capital. Until 1949 its collection interest covered works from all disciplines taught at the university, later it was limited to

philosophy,
medieval and early modern world history,
religion and history of religion.

Since then the library has a nation-wide responsibility for the collection of publications in these fields.

Furthermore the library collects and stores

theses defended at ELTE,
documents about the history of the university,
outstanding pieces of Hungarian and world literature,
all sorts of reference works, handbooks, dictionaries, scholarly works in Hungarian or in several foreign languages needed for research.

The old book collection of the library is a part of the National Cultural Heritage of Hungary, and is acknowledged all over Europe. The collection includes

185 codices (14 of them from the Bibliotheca Corviniana),
1,200 incunabula,
11,000 volumes from the 16th century
15,000 volumes from the baroque times (17th century) and 75,000 from the 18th century

There are several early Hungarian language relics, medieval charters, guilds’ letters of patent, autograph manuscripts of outstanding persons, engravings, and maps in the manuscript and rarity collection.

More information about our collection is available here, further details regarding the collection can be found here. The ELTE University Library and Archives also performs the library tasks of the ELTE Faculty of Economics, paying increased attention to the faculty’s special literature needs.

Catalogues

Online catalogue
The collection of the University Library, acquired since 1996 is searchable in the online catalogue.
Digitalized card catalogue:
- Author's alphabetical catalogue
  Works acquired until 1989
  - ETO catalogue
    Works acquired between 1949–1995
- Subject catalogue
  Works acquired between 1949–1995

Services

Contact

Director General: Dr. Kulcsár Szabó Ernőné Gombos Annamária
Address: H–1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 6. Hungary
Phone: (+36 1) 411-6500/3415
E-mail: foigazgato@lib.elte.hu; director@lib.elte.hu
Secretariat: titkarsag@lib.elte.hu (+36 1) 411 6500/3415

Website: konyvtar.elte.hu/en
Media: Facebook – Instagram – X
Opening hours: Monday–Friday 09:00–20:00; Saturday 10:00–18:00

Borrowing: kolcsonzo@lib.elte.hu (+36 1) 411 6500/3411, 3417
Interlibrary lending: kk@lib.elte.hu (+36 1) 411 6500/3411, 3417
Information service: info@lib.elte.hu (+36 1) 411 6500/3411, 3417

Savaria Library and Archives

The library, founded in 1959 is a member of the ELTE library network since 2017. It was awarded the title ‘Library of the Year’ in 2007, and became a ‘Qualified Library’ in 2014. Connected to the Savaria Centre of Regional Pedagogical Services and Research, it is available to the teachers of the region, while as a public library it is also available for the interested population of the town and county, and aids them in the process of lifelong learning.

Collection

Catalogue – aleph.sek.elte.hu

Parts of the collection of regional significance are especially important:

the Austrian Library serves as one of the most important pillars of the teaching of German;
the Regional Centre and Library for Teachers of English, founded by the British Council;

Special collections, serving research are also important:

the Gábor Devecseri Library offering the bequest of the great 20th century Hungarian writer, and translator of many Greek and Latin classics, including the works of Homer, for research;
the László Hadrovics Library in Slavic Philology that belonged to the linguist, and member of the Hungarian Academy.

Training and learning support

Video service – sek.videotorium.hu
Collection of theses
Individual and group training
E-learning support
Digitization

Contact:

Director general: Dr. Kulcsár Szabó Ernőné Gombos Annamária
Head of library: Csaba Csuk
Address: H-9700 Szombathely, Károlyi Gáspár tér 4. Hungary
Phone: +36 94 519 636 (Library), +36 94 504 368 (Archives)
E-mail: csaba.csuk@sek.elte.hu, kolcsonzo@sek.elte.hu, leveltar@sek.elte.hu
Website: https://konyvtar.elte.hu/en/savaria/en
Facebook
Instagram
Opening hours: Monday 10:00–16:00, Tuesday–Thursday 08:00–16:00; Friday 08:00–13:00

For information on other member libraries of the University Library Service, please visit the faculty websites.