"Pencho Slaveykov" Public Library in Varna was founded in 1883. It is a public institution supported by the municipality and the government. The library has been depository of the Bulgarian national literature since 1945. It is a regional library and centre for consulting other libraries in the North-East part of the country.
Latest statistic have shown that library collections number over 860 000 volumes of books, periodicals and other materials. 30% of our users are under 18 years old. Library collects and offers books and periodicals, manuscripts and archival documents, albums, cartographic publications, official documents, standards, written music, records, audio and video cassettes, CDs and DVDs. In Regional History Dept. there is a unique and full collection of periodicals printed in Varna after 1880.
The Library is a member of the Bulgarian Library Association and a partner in a number of European non-governmental cultural programs and international projects.
The Library has regional responsibilities in an area of significant social change. An increase in the number of adults with only a lower-level education highlights the risks of social exclusion and lost local traditions and is of deep concern for the library.
Current training activities for adults include cooperation with community groups serving seniors, maintaining collections and services of special interest to adults and workshops/one-to-one training on how to use new technologies. The last few years Public Library - Varna uses a method of active-learning for adults' trainings. The library has strong partnership with Centres for Rehabilitation and Social Integration and Senior Day Care.
Currently Library is involved in Europeana Awareness project - a Best Practice Network, led by the Europeana Foundation, designed to publicise Europeana to users, policy makers, politicians and cultural heritage organisations in every Member State so as to encourage the use and contribution of content, raise awareness of cultural heritage as an economic driver and promote knowledge transfer.
For more infos visit http://www.libvar.bg