The Hutÿra Ferenc Library, Archives, and Museum (University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest) is Hungary’s only veterinary library open to the public.

The library is as old as the training of veterinarians itself. Our honored professors have gathered and organized Hungarian and foreign publications in veterinary science from the beginning. Among those who contributed to the development of the collection were Sándor Tolnay, Béla Nádaskay, who elaborated the classification system, and last but not least Gyula Magyary-Kossa, the editor of the catalogue. Thanks to their commitment and successors, such as Marek, Zimmermann, and Kotlán, the prestigious Historic Book Collection now consists of 5000 volumes, entirely integrated in the catalogue. It contains rarities from the 16th century, basic veterinary works in German and Latin, manuscripts, and, naturally, the first editions of the works of the most outstanding Hungarian veterinarians.

Our museum houses relics of the history of Hungarian veterinary education, and the archives are located in building “H.”

The library was placed in the main building of the Hungarian Royal Veterinary College already in the first years of the 20th century. It was in 1983 that the time had come for the Central Library of the University of Veterinary Science to take possession of the simple, still representative building decorated with Zsolnay ceramics and designed by the famous architect of the Hungarian Parliament, Imre Steindl. The former pathology museum, later Auditorium, has become the library’s main reading room, and is decorated with a wrought iron chandelier, reconstructed after a picture by Zoltán Takács. 120 seats, modern services, and 14 computers await the readers in this historic atmosphere; 10 computers are in the computer lab, while the other four are in the periodicals’ section.

The library serves the lecturers, researchers, and students of the University. It is also responsible for providing information and documents to veterinarians—whether private practitioners, vets in state veterinary service, or those working in the research or commercial sector—and everybody who requires information or documents related to veterinary science. This is expected from the library, which is an academic and special library and a member of the National Document Provision System.