The nationwide program, initiated by Hungary’s Ministry of Culture and Innovation and implemented with the professional partnership of the Library Institute of the National Széchényi Library, aims to develop reading culture, increase community engagement, and strengthen the innovation capacity of libraries.
At the core of the call for applications—announced for the second time—is the objective for participating libraries to achieve measurable progress in reader activity and service usage by launching reading promotion campaigns. Progress is monitored over a six-month period within the framework of the program, with results compared to each library’s own previous performance. Four indicators are tracked: the increase in the number of readers, the growth in the number of documents borrowed, the rise in attendance at library programs, and the expansion of the number of child readers. Libraries compete in six categories based on the size of the municipality. The program not only involves domestic institutions but also extends to libraries beyond Hungary’s borders serving Hungarian-speaking communities in the Carpathian Basin. Based on experience so far, the Library Challenge has mobilized a broad institutional base: hundreds of libraries—from the smallest municipal libraries through county-level city libraries to academic libraries—have entered the competition, undertaking data reporting and the implementation of reading promotion campaigns.
The program’s effectiveness is reflected in the fact that over 40% of the more than 300 libraries applying for the second round (2025–2026) have entered the competition for a second time. The financial incentives are substantial: grants ranging from HUF 3 to 10 million are awarded in each category to libraries achieving outstanding results, while special prizes highlight innovative digital services and creative reading promotion campaigns.
The first round, concluded in 2025, brought remarkable progress in many settlements. The number of library users increased significantly, institutions launched new services and event series, and libraries’ social responsibility and their role within local communities were both strengthened. Some Hungarian libraries approached or even exceeded pre-pandemic usage figures. Regionally, in several counties (Pest, Baranya, Békés, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Hajdú-Bihar, Szabolcs-Szatmár, and Vas), the number of registered users surpassed 2019 levels, while in Békés, Szabolcs-Szatmár, and Komárom-Esztergom counties, the number of active users exceeded those figures. The methodology of the Library Challenge reinforces this positive trend. Compared to the reference period, the 370 participating libraries increased the number of registered readers (by 53,315), registered readers under the age of 14 (by 18,916), and participants in library programs (by 235,098) by nearly one-third during the six-month challenge period, and boosted the number of documents borrowed by more than 8% (267,766 items).
The Library Challenge represents a model that demonstrates in a tangible way how libraries can implement flexible, community-centred developments based on quantifiable indicators. As a framework, the Challenge may also be relevant for other countries, particularly where there is an intention to strengthen the role of rural and small-settlement libraries.