access to cultural heritage Bulgarian National Team IP LibCMASS Sofia 2011 Contract № 2011-ERA-IP-7

The Pencho Slaveykov Public Library

 The Pencho Slaveykov Public Library is a member of the Bulgarian Regional Libraries' Association, Union of Librarians and Infromation Services Officers and a partner in various programs of European non- governmental cultural institutions as the British Council, the Goethe Institute, the Alliance Francaise etc. In its unique collections the Library keeps the national printed output; investigates and preserves the literary and intellectual heritage of the historical and cultural development of the Varna region.

 A project for digitization of periodicals, postcards and photos related to Varna from the end of the 19th, early 20th century, which represents the bulgarian participation in EuropeanaLocal - a Best Practice Network project, funded under the eContentplus programme of the European Commission.  Varna Digital Library project follows the EuropeanaLocal basic ideas on an access to local and regional content through the European Digital Library, since it presents the cultural and historical heritage of Varna town.

Database digital copies and metadata “Postcards and Photoes from Varna XIX-XX centuries” THE PROJECT COMPRISES THE FOLLOWING MAJOR PROGRAMS

 The St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library is the National Library of Republic of Bulgaria. It is the biggest library in the country and the oldest cultural institute after the Liberation of Bulgaria.  1878, – The Sofia schoolteacher and first secretary of the City Council Mihail Bobotinov made a proposal for establishing a „public library, necessary for the cultural and educational development of Sofia”.  1953, – The new building of the National Library was officially opened.

Digital Library

 The digitalization of valuable materials from the St. St. Cyril and Methodius National Library collections started in In autumn 2007 these digital images became accessible for users through the library’s website. Nearly files (800 GB of information) have been digitalized so far – manuscripts, old printed books, unpublished documents from the Bulgarian Historical Archive and Oriental Department, portraits and photos, graphical and cartographical editions, Bulgarian newspapers and journals from 1844 to 1944 – images and their systematical descriptions. Users could search in the Electronic archive through the specialized system DocuWare. The digitalized originals are on free access for users. The Digital Library is structured in several collections according to the type of the included documents. The different collections are subdivided in separate sections.

 Collection of Slavonic and Foreign Language Manuscripts;  Collection of Old Printed Books, Rare and Precious Editions;  Bulgarian historical archive collection;  Oriental Department collections;  Maps and Graphics Collection;  Official and Government Publications Collection;  Musical Collection;  Archive of Bulgarian Literature;  Foreign Books and Serials Collection;  Reference Books Collection;  Special Collection in Librarianship;

New reading needs

Rapidly developing world, the easy and quick access to information from the internet inevitably increased requirements for the satisfaction of the modern reading needs. Digital Libraries are the result of the development and upgrading of libraries, storing and evoling cultural heritage. They are the answer to the evolving cultural society, in which we live.

Thank you for your Attention!

Emiliya Sirakova Dimana Yankova Aneta Raykova Christo Christov Angelina Petrova Mihail Urilski