Due to the relocation of our external warehouse the books and doctoral dissertations stored there, as well as the entire stock of the library's periodicals, will be unavailable until the beginning of January 2025. Many of our books are still available for loan and current literature can be found on the open shelves.

Use of special collection

You can study the documents belonging to a special collection only locally in the Research Room with a valid borrower’s card, after filling out a research statement.

Research statement

If a facsimile or a digital copy of the requested document is also available, the original document may be searched only with a permission.

Documents that are unprocessed, being processed, or severely damaged cannot be searched.

Codices may only be used in justified cases, with extreme caution and supervision. You can request a research permit from the head of the Reader’s Service Department at info@lib.elte.hu.

Documents belonging to the special collection

Manuscripts

  • codices,
  • codex fragments,
  • manuscripts classified by specialty,
  • guild charters,
  • letter collection (Diplomatarium Autographum, Litterae et Epistolae Originales)
  • Jesuit source collections: collections of Hevenesi, Kapriani, and Pray,
  • correspondences of scientists,
  • manuscript translation collection,
  • dissertations.

Rarities

  • ancient prints,
  • Old Hungarian Library (RMK-collection),
  • Rariora Hungarica,
  • image collection (engraving, map, graphics, photo),
  • small forms,
  • party history collection.

Old forms

  • antique collection (16th century)
  • baroque collection (17th century),
  • collection from the 18th century.

Request for the preparation of special collection documents

You can initiate a request from the stacks:

10 documents can be retrieved at a time. You can submit a request from the stacks up to maximum 1 hour before the closing of the library, which will be fulfilled the next day.

Use of special collection

You must acknowledge the receipt of the required documents by signing the usage log.

Special collection documents which are used continuously will be set aside for 10 business days upon request.

You must return the documents to the librarian no later than 30 minutes before the closing of the library.

It is strictly forbidden to underline or write anything in the documents, as well as to place on or write on documents in the special collection. Only pencils can be used to make your own notes.

Application for a communication permit

To use the documents in the collection of the ELTE University Library and Archives, you need request a communication permit.

Source/author of illustration:
ELTE EKL