The Library of  National Center for Epidemiology (NCE)

The Library of NCE can be found in its original surroundings preserving its unique atmosphere with genuine furniture since its foundation in 1927.

The holdings of the Library had incorporated the collections from the Library of Central Investigation Station of Bacteriology and Public Health and the Library of National Council of Public Health, respectively. Donations have been received from several national and international institutes, the most remarkably one from the Rockefeller Foundation. Private contributions from Professor Károly Kaiser, former Head of Central Investigation Station of Bacteriology and Public Health and from Dr. W.L. Mitchell, Representative of Rockefeller Foundation in Hungary significantly enriched the collection.

The standard work procedure and methods to fulfil the mission tasks had to be developed for the routine work (classification system; index-cards by authors and classes; reference service).

Due to the outstanding library achievement of Emma Znakovszky, first Head of the Library, the following valuable bibliographies are available for the researchers:

'A selected list of Hungarian public health references after 1920' (1942). This work covers the classification of 3 674 units published between 1920 and 1941.

'The list of publications by the scientists of National Institute of Public Health from 1927 to 1957' (1957); - classification of 1 475 units.

Bibliography of public health, 1945-1954 (1959) with 3 437 units.

Her successors followed her high-level library activity and compiled a publication titled 'The bibliography of publications of National Institute of Public Health, 1958-1964' (1965) with 920 units.

All these bibliographies are invaluable resources even for the current library information.

In 1961 the Library became a sub-centre of health library network providing methodological information and support for the libraries in the Institutes of KÖJÁL (the current NPHMOS) in the various counties and in Budapest. 

The technical progress, the Internet, and the foundation of NCE have brought substantial changes into the library work.

    

In 2002 the reading room received an additional new function as a teaching room with IT support (14 computer stations).
The hosted courses limit the number visiting readers, however, the programmes are freely available.