László Bertók City Library – NAGYATÁD.

HISTORY
Background: Before World War II, there were already libraries in the settlement, with eight to ten school and association libraries operating in the 1930s. However, most of these were destroyed during the war.

The Beginning…

On April 6, 1952, the Nagyatád District Library opened with a collection of 6,184 volumes. As the first district library in the county, its initial task was not only to serve the local community but also to establish public libraries in the Nagyatád, Csurgó, and Barcs regions. By September 1952, it was supplying 37 public libraries with a total of 9,050 volumes (individual libraries sometimes had only 100–400 books at a time). From 1953 onwards, the Csurgó and Barcs libraries also became district libraries.

Contemporary newspapers already noted that, although the library had many books, there were few “really good books.” For example, there were hardly any children’s books, and authors like Cooper and Verne were represented by only one or two copies, as noted by István Szántó in October 1956. The library’s start was therefore challenging, and it was difficult to balance the collection between reference books, recreational/popular literature, and handbooks. This was partly influenced by political pressure, as post-World War II, the entire library infrastructure had to be rebuilt almost from scratch.

In 1958, the collection increased by another 271 volumes. That same year, a free-shelf system was introduced at the Nagyatád District Library. At that time, the library was led by János Illés, who was awarded the Medal for Socialist Culture in 1965 for his work. Alongside lending services, poetry competitions, lectures, book exhibitions, and book-themed balls enriched library life. By 1959, there were 235 registered adult readers.

From 1952 to 1965, the library operated on the upper floor of the present Atád Department Store (Széchenyi Square 28).

By the 1960s, library usage had increased significantly—according to contemporary press reports, in 1965 the library had 1,230 registered readers, with 60 visitors borrowing 180–200 books daily. At that time, the library’s collection consisted of 11,600 volumes and 2,000 slide films. Branch libraries were already operating in Kivadár, Bodvica, and Henész, serving nearly 400 readers in total. In 1967, a children’s library section opened at 11 Hunyadi Street.

From 1965 to 1974, the library remained at 11 Hunyadi Street.

In 1973, under the leadership of Károly Turbék, construction began on a new location for the Bodvica Branch Library, which had previously only had temporary shelving.

The settlement gained city status in 1971, which significantly affected library operations. To establish city-level library services, operational conditions had to be improved, and in 1974 the library moved to the former Hungarian National Bank branch building.

By 1975, the library’s collection had grown to 40,000 volumes, subscribing to 140 different periodicals. The collection also included a substantial number of slide films, maps, and records. As a district library, it oversaw 48 smaller libraries that year. Microfilm and copying equipment were introduced, and a bibliographic compilation related to the city was completed.

In 1980, the building was renovated and expanded.

At this time, dedicated spaces were created for the music and local history departments. The music department, featuring a gallery layout, opened in 1981 (today, this space houses the local history collection and literature on the arts).

In 1982, the library registered a record number of more than 3,000 annual readers.

In 1985, the foundations for a videotape archive were laid. Initially, local photographer Tibor Huszár helped record events on VHS, and later the library purchased its own VHS recorder.

In May 1987, on the occasion of the National Book Week, the library opened a new building section: the present Children’s Library. The city administration renovated an adjacent historic building in harmony with the library, providing an optimal setting for children’s library activities. The new wing featured spacious, bright, vaulted interiors, a separate entrance, and a small connecting passage to the main building. The media library was also housed here.

Until the regime change, the library fulfilled methodological and small-regional district library tasks, but these responsibilities were phased out in the early 1990s, with the County and City Library in Kaposvár taking over this role. The new library law regulating post-regime-change library operations also took time to be enacted.

The Library Today…

The adult library consists primarily of sections for fiction and reference literature. Near the entrance is the periodicals reading room, which also houses the fiction and reference collections. Lending administration and reader guidance are also handled here, with librarians assisting users in navigating the library. Two interior rooms accommodate the natural and social sciences collections.

Six multimedia computers, acquired through a 2002 grant, are located here and provide free internet access to registered library users. Since 2004, following a new grant from the Ministry of Informatics and Communications, the library has also operated as an E-Hungary Point, allowing the development of computer infrastructure.

Currently, the City Library is a unit of the Nagyatád Cultural and Sports Center. Legally, it operates independently but does not have autonomous financial management. The integrated institution primarily focuses on cultural, sports, and marketing activities.