About the Library > History

The Pencho Slaveykov Public Library in Varna was founded in 1883 by the Varna Literary Society thanks to the generous donation of prominent public men and patriots from Varna. The library has been a depository of the Bulgarian national literature since 1945. Nowadays the Pencho Slaveykov Library is a public institution supported by the municipality and is a regional library and methodological center.

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.

The users of our universal and research library are representatives of all the fields of science and practice: scientific workers, specialists, students etc. The Pencho Slaveykov Public Library keeps and offers for use books and periodicals (the entire output of the Bulgarian publishers after 1945 and of foreign publishers, too), manuscripts and archival documents, albums, cartographic publications, official documents, standards, music sheets, records, audio and video cassettes, CD-s, micro-photographs deposited, bought or donated.

In 1998 the Library possessed 800 000 volumes of books, periodicals and others in its structural departments. The library is the most democratic institution on the territory of Varna which is accessible to everyone. There were 180 000 visits of the library registered for the last year; 340 483 volumes lent to readers. Fifty specialists of high qualification in different fields of science - bibliography and library science humanities, computer engineers work in the library.

The technological library processing of the books and documents and some of the readers' services have been computerized since 1990. The library provides both conventional and computer catalogue of:

• books in Bulgarian and in foreign languages;
• periodicals publications;
• reference information;
• information about Varna and its region;
• rare books and books of true merit;

Internet access and e-mail services have been provided to the users since 1993. These instruments are used for interlibrary loans and other services, as well.

The library has published over 200 bibliographies and references. The Pencho Slaveykov Public Library became the Varna Prize winner for 1997 - "For activities in publishing and popularizing the culture and history of Varna".