P.K.Yavorov Regional Library, Bourgas Bulgaria
21, Bogoridi str
8000 Bourgas, Bulgaria
tel 00359-56-84-27-53; email RLBurgas@unacs.BgThe Regional Library P.K. Yavorov in Bourgas was established in 1888 and has a 110-year history. Many people of social importance worked there: the teacher Christo Dimitrov, the writer Stefan Stanchev, etc. They make this institution a cultural and intellectual center for the town. In 1944, the library already had more than 15,500 books. In 1945, the municipal library in Bourgas became a State Peoples Library and was included in the system for legal deposit. The library receives one free copy of any book printed in Bulgaria. From 1953 to 1987 the library functioned as a district library. In 1978, the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous Bulgarian poet P.K. Yavorov, the library was renamed after Yavorov.
Today the Regional Library P.K.Yavorov is the largest library on the territory of Bourgas and the district. It is a literary and cultural center of great importance for the town and the region. The library has a very rich and valuable archive of books and materials connected with the region. The library holdings include over 600,000 items, including books, periodicals, graphical materials, notes, map collections, national and other standards, records, tapes, etc. The collection of foreign language materials, especially in English, French and German, is growing. The library received gifts of books in English from the American embassy, the International Bookexchanging Fund in London and New York, The National Academic Association, and the Open Society foundation; books in French from the embassy of France ; and books in German from the Gouthe Institute. Each year the library acquires more than 10,000 new library holdings. Each year nearly 8,000 readers are registered, and more than 180,000 materials are borrowed. Through interlibrary loan, readers out of Bourgas are also provided with materials. The library provides qualified methodological assistance to the work of the libraries in the region.
The rich funds of the regional library made this institution one of the most important cultural and informational institutes in the town and the region of Bourgas. A staff of 34 qualified library workers are employed at the library, and work with professionalism and motivation.
In 1991, the library bought AIS LIBRARY and 3 PC's, to begin the library's automation. A library catalog was established, and now includes more than 37,000 machine-readable units. An order index catalog was set up, and now includes more than 10,000 machine readable units. An index catalog of holdings for the library connected with the region was set up, and includes more than 7,500 machine readable units. The general systematic index catalog of the articles in Bulgarian periodical press now has more than 150,000 machine readable units. A "Personalia" database contains information about prominent people in the town and the region. A database of NKBM with the periodical press publications was purchased.
In spite of the difficulties that come from the library buildings being located in different places, efforts to develop the automated system of the library continue. Some of the library activities are now automated. The local network in the main building of the library has been working for five years now. Internet access and email service is provided.
In 1992, the library applied for a project for automation of the library and informational processes at Open Society Foundation. In 1997, a project for developing the local network and providing access to the Internet was presented for approval at the same foundation. The two projects were approved and the library received the needed hardware and software to implement the projects.
In 1998, a project was developed for a modern informational and cultural center for the town of Bourgas. The goals of the new projects are to improve delivery of information by implementing new technologies and to improve service to library patrons.
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