The university, even if it changes, means permanence for me. It has been here all my life. As a child, we accompanied my father for his doctoral hooding ceremony to the university. Later, I also made an attempt to get a degree at the Faculty of Business and Economics. Finally, I was able to "jump" into the start-up University Archives from a casual job in the law library. If you work in a few-man unit like the Archives, especially from the beginning, you know every twist and turn, you know every story. I have a personal memory of every event, every single object. I feel I am not just working here, I am part of the Archives.

Here I have had the opportunity to get my degree, to expand my knowledge, to build contacts in and out of my profession, and to make friends.

I was given sabbatical to pursue interesting and sometimes not immediately useful topics. For example, I was excited by a lecture and spent a month trying out and studying the AtoM registration system because I was curious about it. Today, I am the host of a registration portal for higher education archives called UnivA, which uses this system. On another occasion, I was introduced to InDesign software because it piqued my interest. I have now been involved in the technical editing of several archival volumes and many journal issues.

My job is varied. Sometimes I have to record data. Sometimes I solve IT problems. Sometimes I typeset a publication. Sometimes I produce statistics or keep records. Or maybe I investigate old files following requests for information.

But most importantly, I have been given a vocation. Not just a job that I do to get paid, but something that has a meaning beyond me. We preserve a tiny piece of history. We publish sources, we produce books - we leave something lasting.

Acél Róbert

chief archivist

University Library