In the foyer of the St. Kliment Ohridski University Library an exhibition was opened dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the international interlibrary book exchange in the Library.
Associate Professor Angelova opened the meeting and pointed out that this was an exhibition presenting the activities of the librarians in the libraries. She introduced those present to the history of the international interlibrary book exchange and pointed to the fact that it embraced quite a long period of time –110 years. “Today we are celebrating the strength of the tradition. Way back in the remote years of 1888-1889, almost right after the foundation of the auxiliary library institution affiliated to the High Pedagogical Course, the founders of the Alma Mater envisaged the first links with the world. It is the international interlibrary book exchange that becomes a bridge spanning between the University Library, i.e. between Bulgarian science and the science of the world”, Assoc. Prof. Angelova remarked.
Since, at that time, the University did not have its own publishing house established yet, the initial steps in the interlibrary loan direction were made through the Miscellanea for Folklore, Literature, and Science.
In 1905, the first issue of the Annual of Sofia University was published and, following a decision of the Academic Council, the University Library launched its regular international interlibrary book exchange, sending the Annual of Sofia University, the Work in Progress publications of the Seminar of Slavic Philology, and the Geological Map of Bulgaria, made by Professor Zlatarski. “It is with these three publications that we started on the long way along the international interlibrary book exchange here, at the University Library. Even today, the funds of our library get enriched with precious books, some of which are being displayed here. Nowadays we are cooperating with some 500 libraries from all over the world.”, Assoc. Prof. Angelova said.
