Béla Hatvany
Encyclopedia
Béla Hatvany is a pioneer in the automation of libraries and the information industry. Companies founded by him have been responsible for the first Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC), the first CD-ROMs, the first networked CD-ROM, the first client-server library databases, and some of the earliest internet library database retrieval engines. In addition he was a key investor in the first streaming music databases for libraries (Classical.com), Credo Reference and JustGiving. He is recognized as a visionary in library information.
He was born in 1938. His father was a Hungarian Jew, his mother Spanish. They emigrated to England where Béla spent his childhood. He received a scholarship to attend St. Andrews University from BP. In 1956 he began his career as a customer service engineer, a computer programmer and a salesman.
In 1965, he moved to the USA to get an MBA at Harvard University. He founded his first company, COMSISA in Mexico City in 1968. It served sugar mills and local businesses.
In 1971, he started Computer Library Services (CLSI) in Boston. This was the first company to develop the minicomputer for use in libraries, in effect building the Online Public Access Computer (OPAC) market. In the late 1970s it had more than 80% share. He sold it to Thyssen Bornemisza in 1985 and returned to live in London.
In 1983, he started a small organization that became SilverPlatter Information Ltd
. The company published the first CD-ROMs in 1984. The company thrived developing a number of innovative products including networked CD-ROM, client-server delivery for bibliographic databases and was one of the first companies to deliver databases on the internet. In 2001 it was sold to Wolters-Kluwer for $113 million.
Since then Béla has invested in a number of early-stage, internet-based companies including Classical.com, JustGiving, Credo Reference, Productorial, Mustardseed Charitable Trust and Coreweb.
Throughout his career Béla has been passionate about building organizations “that serve all the constituents in a balanced way.” In his own words “I wish to enable an “ecology” in which all experience themselves to be well-served. I experience a world whose abundance is made available by human collaboration. Money is made of human agreement and enables this collaboration on a world-wide scale.”
In 1987 Béla received the LITA/Gaylord Award for Achievement in Library and Information Technology. In 1991 he received the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Optical Publishing Association. In 2000 the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS
) honored Béla Hatvany with the Miles Conrad Award for his outstanding contribution to the information industry.
Béla has been married since 1964 to Ellen and has six children and seven grandchildren.
He was born in 1938. His father was a Hungarian Jew, his mother Spanish. They emigrated to England where Béla spent his childhood. He received a scholarship to attend St. Andrews University from BP. In 1956 he began his career as a customer service engineer, a computer programmer and a salesman.
In 1965, he moved to the USA to get an MBA at Harvard University. He founded his first company, COMSISA in Mexico City in 1968. It served sugar mills and local businesses.
In 1971, he started Computer Library Services (CLSI) in Boston. This was the first company to develop the minicomputer for use in libraries, in effect building the Online Public Access Computer (OPAC) market. In the late 1970s it had more than 80% share. He sold it to Thyssen Bornemisza in 1985 and returned to live in London.
In 1983, he started a small organization that became SilverPlatter Information Ltd
SilverPlatter
SilverPlatter Information, Inc. was one of the first companies to produce commercial reference databases on CD-ROMs. It was founded in 1983 in the United Kingdom by Bela Hatvany and Walt Winshall with the explicit intention of using CD technology to publish data...
. The company published the first CD-ROMs in 1984. The company thrived developing a number of innovative products including networked CD-ROM, client-server delivery for bibliographic databases and was one of the first companies to deliver databases on the internet. In 2001 it was sold to Wolters-Kluwer for $113 million.
Since then Béla has invested in a number of early-stage, internet-based companies including Classical.com, JustGiving, Credo Reference, Productorial, Mustardseed Charitable Trust and Coreweb.
Throughout his career Béla has been passionate about building organizations “that serve all the constituents in a balanced way.” In his own words “I wish to enable an “ecology” in which all experience themselves to be well-served. I experience a world whose abundance is made available by human collaboration. Money is made of human agreement and enables this collaboration on a world-wide scale.”
In 1987 Béla received the LITA/Gaylord Award for Achievement in Library and Information Technology. In 1991 he received the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from the Optical Publishing Association. In 2000 the National Federation of Advanced Information Services (NFAIS
NFAIS
National Federation of Advanced Information Services is a United States non-profit institutional membership organization of content and technology providers, specifically those that support the authoritative information needs and activities of professionals across a spectrum of scholarly...
) honored Béla Hatvany with the Miles Conrad Award for his outstanding contribution to the information industry.
Béla has been married since 1964 to Ellen and has six children and seven grandchildren.