1. “ “Digitalization and Conservation of the Documentary History of the University of Economics - Varna as Part of the Cultural Heritage of the Academic Community in Bulgaria” ” Grant Agreement № 24-10-М2-6/ 24.04.2015 PARTNER MEETING 04.09.2015, Gjovik, Norway

2. University of Economics – Varna

3. Varna University of Economics was established as Bulgaria’s first Higher School of Commerce following the industrial and cultural boom at the turn of the 20 th century and the ever growing need for business training. In its 95-plus year history University of Economics - Varna has trained over 110,000 economists, both Bulgarian and international, with international students coming from over 60 countries. Currently the university trains 13,000 Bulgarian and international students. Faculty members are 300, among those 120 are professors and associate professors. Varna University of Economics has been accredited and certified as an academic and research organization as per ISO 9001:2008. This university never ceases to strengthen its reputation. University of Economics – Varna

4. In its bachelor’s degree University of Economics - Varna offers a range of 20 accredited majors in four professional divisions: Economics, Administration and Management, Tourism, IT and Computer Sciences. The master’s degree offers 30 master’s degree majors in three types of studies: full-time, part- time and distance learning. The College of Tourism offers training for a professional bachelor’s degree in tourism in four majors. University of Economics - Varna embraces projects that facilitate academic and research exchange with international academic centres. This university maintains contacts and cooperates with over 70 international universities.

5. University Library at UE-Varna

6. The library was established in 1920 (one thousand nine hundred and twentieth) year, along with the university. Now it has about 300 000 (three hundred thousand) volumes. In the library work 14 library specialists and four students during school months. The activity of the library is divided into four areas: Acquisition and CatalogingAcquisition and Cataloging - Provides books for the library using a different channels - purchase, donations and exchanges. Provides registration and cataloging of library materials. Supports electronic library catalog. Scientific Information - Helps teachers and students in search of scientific information, educate library users to work with the electronic resources - catalogs, full-text databases and more. Book Loans ServiceBook Loans Service - serves teachers and students to search for specific titles of information on a particular topic, borrowing and returning books and work in the reading room. PeriodicalsPeriodicals – subscribtion and registration of about 400 titles of periodicals per year.

7. University Library at UE-Varna Electronic resources: The Library can serve its customers not only through the traditional forms of library service but also using Electronic catalogue which can offer information on library entries after 1984. The electronic catalogue comprises “Book”, “Articles”, “Periodicals” and “UE authors bibliography” databases with over 75000 records. The library website provides information on all the services and resources offered by the library

8. Main Characteristics:  Library area - 2100 square meters.  Reading hall seating capacity - 210 seats.  Departments: Lending, Acquisition, Information services, Periodicals. Underground book and periodical repositories.  RFID library system for customer service and protect the fund from books  Computer stations - 30 for the students (in reading hall and lending department), 30 in training sessions hall, 15 in the library departments.  Library self service machines - 3  Self service copy machines – 3.  Kirtas robotic book scanner -1.

9. University Library at UE-Varna The University Library is one of the largest and most modern university libraries in Bulgaria The University Library serves university students and lecturers (which amount to 11 000 people) and many other (outside) readers from the whole region of north-eаst Bulgaria. The University Library is an EDC – European Documentation Center from 2007.

10. University Library at UE-Varna

11. digital.ue-varna.bg Digitalization and Conservation of the Documentary History of the University of Economics - Varna as Part of the Cultural Heritage of the Academic Community in Bulgaria Digitalization and Conservation of the Documentary History of the University of Economics - Varna as Part of the Cultural Heritage of the Academic Community in Bulgaria

12. GENERAL INFORMATION Grant Agreement: 24-10-M2-6/ 24.04.2015 Programme: BG08 “Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Arts” Measure: Measure 2: “Cultural History Documented” Beneficiary: University of Economics – Varna (Bulgaria) Partner: Oppland County Library, Oppland County, Norway Project budget: EUR 305 743,68 Duration: 12 months Period of implementation: 24.04.2015 - 30.04.2016

13. OVERALL OBJECTIVE Digitalization and preservation of the Library's archive fund and the University history as part of the cultural, historical and scientific history of this country and the opening of the fund for use by students, lecturers, scientists, researchers and the general public.

14. Activity 1: Building of a Digitalization centre at the University library Establishment of a modern up-to-date equipped and operating “Digitalization centre” that will be arranged in a separate space organized through the placement of a decorative partition wall in the Library's reading room.

15. Activity 2: Digitalization of the Library’s Archive fund Digitalization and opening for use of the Library’s Archive Fund, which constitutes of a collection of publications by IU lecturers ranging from the establishment of the University until present date. The collection contains over 3000 book titles – textbooks, almanacs, monographs, etc. Another 400 documents concerning the University’s history will also be digitalized – accounts, reports, articles, photographs, etc.

16. Activity 3: Providing of specialized software for the organizing and control of access and use of the digital copies through the Library's electronic catalogue Purchasing, adaptation and implementation of specialized software for the use and control of access to full-text documents. The software will provide for the quick and convenient use of the digitalized “Archive Fund” and of the other part of the Library’s fund through a web-based platform.

17. Activity 4: Training for handling and maintenance of the digital archive and for service providing to users within the frame of the digitalization centre The training will be conducted by specialists who know the installed software and newly purchased equipment. Because of the activities’ specifics, which are entirely new for the Library specialists and the digitalization centre, the training will be important in view of the further maintenance and effective and quality accomplishment of the digitalization activities and providing of services to the readers. Apart from this, special training will be provided for students and librarians who have been specifically hired to accomplish the digitalization.

18. Activity 5: Study of the experience and good practices in the area of digitalization and management of the libraries in Norway in the area of organizing of digital library collections and improvement of the information services to the users.

19. Activity 6: Publicity and visualization of the project For the purpose of enhancement the transparency during the implementation of the project funded under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014, and for the raising of the general public and the media awareness, a Plan for the awareness and project transparency will be implemented.

20. Activity 7: Management and administration of the project The functions of project management will be implemented by a qualified and experienced team, which is a guarantee for the quality implementation, control and reporting of the activities included in the project’s implementation

21. Expected Results A digital collection "Archive of the cultural and historical heritage of the academic community in the University of Economics Varna." Provided opportunities to use the Library catalogue and gain access to the documents’ full texts through a modern web-based platform. Trained and prepared specialists from the Library who will work in the Digitalization centre, will attend to the users and will assure the sustainable addition of new digitalized documents to the digital collections. Established professional contacts with experts from the Norwegian partner organization that will contribute to the future cooperation and exchange of experience in the area of informational and library services.

22. Project Management Team Assoc. Prof. PhD Snezhana Sulova- Project Manager ssulova@ue-varna.bg Rositsa Zarkova – Project Coordinator zarkova@ue-varna.bg Assist. Prof. Denitsa Yordanova – Assistant European Programmes and Projects d.yordanova@ue-varna.bg Galina Andreeva – Project Accountant g.andreeva@ue-varna.bg

23. THANK YOU!