Exhibition on the history of the institution

Our exhibition on the history of the institution located on the main entrance floor presents the classic library interior in a renovated and rearranged setting, showing the intellectual and material environment of librarians and readers between 1802 and 1985.

The exhibition features furniture valuable from the point of view of library history, former institutional inscriptions, office equipment, machines and tools used in the processing and workshop activities, documents and photographs, and two sliding monitors that allow visitors to explore the furniture, tools and objects in detail.

Additional photos, newspaper advertisements and stories add to the inscriptions previously displayed in display cases. The exhibition's importance for the viewpoint of cultural history lies in the fact that it gives a taste not only of the national library but also of the equipment and office supplies of libraries and other institutions in Hungary. 

Opposite this exhibition – used for the first time in Hungary – an interactive touchscreen over eight metres long allows multiple visitors to browse the history of the national library simultaneously  to discover the many interesting features of our exceptional collections.

By touching and pulling out catalogue drawers of various sizes and designs, the screens display the history of our library in a visually appealing way, with timelines, photos, press releases, anecdotes and additional features. This digital museological renewal is complemented by the eight monitors on the floor 6, which display the presentation of our special collections.