Library system in Bulgaria far from technological development

Ten per cent of the libraries in Bulgaria apply modern technologies and 70 per cent do not have computers, according to a survey on the subject of the readiness of Bulgarian libraries and their transformation into centres of information society knowledge, conducted by the Union of Library and Information Workers and commissioned by the State Agency for Information Technology and Communications, the agency said.

The survey covered 27-28 per cent of the working libraries (1,639 of some 6,000).

The dynamics in the development of information society, as well as knowledge-based economy lend a special role to libraries - to be banks of information and public places for access to services. This requires overall electronic equipment of library material and resource base, computerized work places, opportunity for access to a wide circle of users to electronic catalogues and full-text databases. Currently some 100 libraries meet part of these requirements. Bulgarian centres of knowledge, however, rank last of 29 countries in Europe in terms of financial indicators.

A mere 1.6 per cent of the libraries keep their funds in digital form, 16 per cent have copier equipment, 0.9 per cent - with microfilming equipment, 8.5 per cent have software systems for electronic catalogue. Only about 30 per cent of the libraries have some computer.

The library system in Bulgaria consists mainly of community centre libraries (70 per cent), while school libraries are 21 per cent. The average area of libraries is some 145 sq. m and that of reader zones - approximately 65 sq. m.

The prevalent users of library services are from the "Internet generation" - school and university students (more than 62 per cent). The libraries that serve them, however, have outdated material base, usually one librarian and without regular financing. All this, along with the lack of computer literacy, is a serious obstacle before the introduction of modern technologies in libraries and the offering of new information services, including on-line.

In relation to this the agency will initiate a discussion with all relevant institutions for an urgent development of a National Strategy for development of Bulgarian libraries.

Source: BTA