The Central Library of the Hungarian National Museum was founded in 1950 from publishings on archaeology and history stored in the respective collections. Its stock was enlarged again in 1996 with documents on protection of natural treasures and publishings coming from contemporary libraries.

Based on its content and size our library is one of the most significant archaeological libraries in Central Europe. Its stock of cca. 280 000 volumes contains archaeological and historical literature, periodical literature published after 1840, museum publishing since 1945, protection and conservation literature and cca. 100 copies of CD-ROMs and DVDs.

You can find more information about our library in the Database of Hungarian Libraries.

Archaeological collection

The Central Archaeological Library is one of the main collection of the Central Library of the Museum and also one of the biggest archaeological library of Central Europe. Its history is closely connected to those of the Coins Collection and the Historical Repository. During the first 150 years of the Hungarian National Museum the Central Archaeological Library’s stock had been collected from volumes arriving from several departments of the Museum. Since 1952 it has been working as a collection on its own. The historical and archaeological volumes carefully collected and curated during 200 years mainly focus on the Carpathian Basin, however, literature on other geopgraphical regions can also be found in the collection. Most of the istorical, archaeological and museology journals published in Hungary are available in our library as well as bibliographies or catalogues of historical or archaeological exhibitions.

Solva: Esztergom későrómai temetői

The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Archaeological Collection.

Protection and conservation collection

The history of the library traces back to 1960 when the Central Technological Group for Museology was founded. The way the library has been reorganized since then has been effected by the way the Hungarian National Museum had been reorganized at times.

Although there have been many of these structural changes during the last decades the library has been working without any pauses and its stock has been enlarged. The Central Technological Group for Museology together with the library had been working as the Museology and Technology Department of the Central Directorate of the Museum between 1968 and 1972. In 1974 the Art Conservation and and Methodology Centre was formed, thus the library became part of this centre. In 1982 the Art Conservation and and Methodology Centre joined the Central Directorate of the Museum and then its library was attached to the Hungarian National Museum. As a consequence the collection became part of the Central Library of the Hungarian National Museum and was moved to the museum building. Its stock comprising of 30 000 copies of books and journals helps the conservation process of archaeological finds and museum objects as well as the education of conservators and the work of museologists. The library owns a significant repository of translated foreign works and also preserves the university theses of conservation studies students. Sincet he latter ones are a great help in the education of the conservation studies university students they are stored in the National Conservation and Conservation Studies Centre at Könyves Kálmán Boulevard in Budapest.

Műtárgyvédelem 2012-2013

The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Protection and Conservation Collection.

Modern Times collection

The most recent part of the stock of the Central Library consisting of 52 000 copies that was launched in the 1800s has a double function: on one hand it operates as scientific thematic library, on the other hand it serves as a museum collection to support exhibitions – especially rare periodicals.

As a consequence of its double function the collection is quite varied: scientific summaries, diverse types of documents (political party programmes, publications of institutions and NGOs), cookbooks, fairy tales, product catalogues, etc. Our library collects fine literature as well as statistical documents, databases and even phonebooks. Our rare periodicals collection has a copy of the significant part of such periodicals published in Hungary. Recently our library does not focus on collecting all these periodicals but still concentrates on finding and preserving the most interesting copies.

Nagy Imre "Egy évtized" című kötete a szerző dedikálásával (1954)

The online catalogue of the Central Library can also be used for searching in the Modern Times Collection.

From November 2005 our thematic library is open to the public.