The main creators of emblem books in the 16th and 17th centuries were the Jesuits followed by the Piarists. An exception was Johannes Sambucus, János Zsámboky (1531–1584), physician, court historian, the author of several emblem books. He spent a large part of his life in Vienna, but was also in correspondence with lay aristocrats and the high clergy in Hungary. One of his most famous works was the Emblemata (1564) published by Christopher Plantin in Antwerp. The emblem book in our picture was published six years later in the same city by Philips Galle. The volume also contains 16 engravings and the Carmen heroicum by humanist physician Hugo Favolino. The work is generally regarded as a laudation of John of Austria (1547–1578), the victorious Spanish general at the battle of Lepanto (1571), but a number of quite complex interpretations have been recently proposed. Most of the emblems depict military deeds and virtues with Classic inscriptions, triumphal arches decorated with mythological heroes and gods, but also include contemporary references (e.g. Ottoman garments). The work is related to the apologetic literary tradition associated with the heroes of the battle of Lepanto, in which we can perceive the recreation of the Classical literature. The copy preserved in the University Library and Archives is damaged (signatures C5-6 and D1-6 are missing).

The book is part of the book adoption program of the Foundation for the University Library. Save a book, adopt a book!

For more information, please, visit our website at https://konyvtar.elte.hu/en/support-us/adopt-a-book.

RMK III 134/b 

Arcus aliquot triumphal, et monimenta victor. classicae in honor invictissimi ac illustris. Iani Austriae, victoris non quieturi, auctor Ioan. Sambuco. Quibus adiectum est eiusdem argumenti Carmen heroicum per Hugonem Favolinum. 

Antverpiae [Antwerpen] : apud Philippum Gallaeum MDLXXII [1572] 

In 1648, Italian astronomer and astrologer Andrea Argoli (1570–1657) published his astronomical ephemerides for the years between 1641 and 1700. In 1676, the astronomers of the University of Nagyszombat (Trnava, Slovakia) adapted this work for Hungary and Austria, and the Academic Press printed the calendar in the same year (or maybe at the end of the last one). The compilers thoroughly explain the structure at the beginning of the volume, the same information for every day of the year: feast days, astronomical observations, lunar phase, duration of day and night, weather, Austrian anniversaries etc. A prognostication for the year and two writings titled Dissertatio physico-mathematica (of waterbodies in Austria and Hungary) and Synopsis chronologica (main events in Austria from Rudolf I to Leopold I, from 1218 to 1675) follow the almanac. A family tree of the Habsburgs – which traces its origins back to Pharamond, the legendary king of the Franks – ends the book. The copy of the University Library is unique: a nobleman near Pozsony (Bratislava, Slovakia), András Szency wrote his diary on blank leaves after each month, giving a short description of almost every day, thus making it possible to reconstruct his whole year. Several leaves were added to the end of the book as well, which contain the account book of Szency with precise numbers. The calendar and the diary later came into the possession of the Hédervári family.

The book is part of the book adoption program of the Foundation for the University Library. Save a book, adopt a book!
For more information, please visit our website: https://konyvtar.elte.hu/en/support-us/adopt-a-book.

RMK II 260a:2

Calendarium typographiae Tyrnaviensis, ad annum a nato in terris Deo, M. DC. LXXVI. ad meridianum Tyrnaviensem, ad elevationem poli XLVIII. graduum, adeoque in usum praecipuorum locorum tam in Ungaria, quam in Austria, nec non adjacentium provinciarum, supputatum ex calculis ... Andreae Argoli / opera et studio, astrophili cuiusdam in Academia Tyrnaviensi Regni Ungariae Tyrnaviae [Nagyszombat] : typis Academicis, [1676].

The mission of the ELTE University Library and Archives, which won the Hungarian Heritage Award and – as part of the University Library Service – the title of Qualified Library in 2018, as well as the EFQM “Committed to Excellence” certificate in 2020, is to provide Hungarian and foreign academic teachers, researchers and students with domestic and foreign literature, intending to integrate them into the international circulation of scientific life. Now, you can also help to ensure free access to information, to preserve and digitize our cultural values, and to acquire modern technological equipment and implement continuous service development. Please, support the Foundation for the University Library by offering 1% of your tax. 

The Foundation for the University Library was established in 2005 to provide the technical modernization for the ELTE University Library and Archives and help expansing its services and protecting its holdings. The library's old book collection of nearly two million documents is part of the national cultural heritage and is also significant in Europe, so it is our shared responsibility to preserve these values ​​for the rising generation.

The non-profit organization, led by Dr. Péter Kiszl, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, significantly supports the library's value-saving activities. In order to restore the volumes of the collection, which requires special attention and constant preservation, the foundation has launched a book adoption program. In addition, it contributes to the organization of events promoting the values ​​and the professional work of the University Library and Archives, the publication of a wall calendar presenting the rarities of the library and the university’s cultural heritage, as well as the publication of the Traditions and Challenges conference volume and acquiring new technical equipment.

More information about the support possibilities of the Foundation for the University Library is available here.

Foundation for the University Library

H-1053 Budapest, Ferenciek tere 6.

Phone: +36 1 411 6738

Email: alapitvany@lib.elte.hu

Tax number: 18121362-1-41

Account number: 12010532-00120645-00100003

The Library will be closed between the 23rd of December and 1st of January 2023. Our library's services will be available from the 2nd of January 2023. 

We wish all our dear readers a very merry Christmas and a successful New Year!

The opening hours of the ELTE University Library and Archives will be changed from the 5th of December 2022. Our library is open on weekdays between 9.00 and 15.00 to offer our readers a full range of services, on Saturdays our Reading Hall is available between 9.00 and 15.00 for study and reading. Borrowed books may be returned using our Bibliobox in the lobby until 18.00 on opening days.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and supportive cooperation.

The ELTE University Library and Archives will be closed on the 25th of November 2022 due to a university event. From Saturday (from the 26th of November 2022) we are waiting for our visitors according to the usual opening hours.

In the frame of the Autumn Festival of Museums, between the 3rd of October and the 13th of November 2022, we invite all science and book lovers to visit our exhibition entitled Janus Pannonius from Humanism to the Baroque – A Selection from the Collection of the University Library and Archives.

Our guests can take part in interactive guided tours of the Eötvös exhibition, guitar concerts by Ádám Kovács, guided tours of the restoration workshop and library history. Our book presentations will give you an insight into the special treasures of our library. All visitors are welcome!

Programme:

3 October 2022 – 13 November 2022
 

Secrets of pages – Book presentation from our museum collection
Fridays 16.30–17.00 (except the 14th and the 28th of October 2022)
 

Restorer's workshop presentation
Fridays 10.00–11.00 and 17.00–18.00 (except the 28th of October 2022)
 

Library tour
Mondays and Thursdays 17.00–18.00
 

Guided tour at the Eötvös exhibition
Mondays 18.00–18.45, Thursdays 16.00–16.45

Janus Pannonius from Humanism to the Baroque – A selection from the collection of the University Library and Archives
Monday–Friday, 10.00–15.00

Concerts:
István Ádám – Guitar Concert I. – 7 October 2022, 18.00
István Ádám – Guitar Concert II. – 11 November 2022, 18.00

Programme available online:

Virtual Autumn Walks in the ELTE University Library and Archives (continuously available online programme).

Photo, audio and video recordings will be made of the events. The recordings will be published on the websites, publications, forums and social media of the participating institutions.

In order to increase the efficiency of library services, according to Article 137/A of the Student Requirements Regulation, effective from the 1 st of October 2022, the condition for taking endof-semester examinations and registering for the next semester is the payment of the library overdue fee in the libraries of the University Library Service. Final examinations may only be taken after the return of borrowed books by the deadline and the payment of library debts.

We hope that the modification of the Student Requirements System will contribute to a more efficient service of our libraries and of the required and recommended literature.

You can check your borrowings and outstanding debt by using the access link here.

Borrowed library documents can also be returned to the libraries by personal delivery or by post. For information on the opening hours and addresses of ELTE libraries, please visit the websites at eltekonyvtarak.elte.hu/en. For more information on settling overdue fees by bank transfer, please, click here.

Several convenience services are available for monitoring loan periods and overdue fees: 

• a reminder e-mail is sent two days before the loan deadline;
• by logging in to ELTEfind, you can review your outstanding debts and library loans;
• using the latest ELTE Library WebApp, all our readers can view their loans, overdue fees and set up their own personal notifications of the expiry date on their smartphones.

All of our member libraries offer multiple options (in person, email, phone, web, app) to indicate a renewal request and pay an overdue fee, helping to avoid overdue loans and increased late fees.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

For technical reasons, the smaller reading rooms of the library will be closed until 16.00 on the 26th of September 2022.

On-site use will be offered in the Reading Hall and the services of the lending desk (borrowing, book return, registration, purchase of printer and photocopier cards) will be available at the information desk on the ground floor.

After 16.00, our readers will be able to enjoy the full range of services as usual.

Due to the Cultural Heritage Days, the library services of the ELTE University Library and Archives will be inaccessible on Saturday, on the 17th of September 2022.

More details about our event are available on our website. All visitors are welcome!