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Pamela André Michal Demeš Tomaz Bartol Aino Kuik Marcela Chrenekova Ilona Dobelniece Ivanka Demireva Ivo Hoch Ctibor Perlin Krystyna Kocznorowska Participants Time schedule Photo documentation < Back |
LIBRARY- CENTER OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION
Ivanka DEMIREVA Thracian University Library Students campus 60000 Stara Zagora BULGARIA The Thracian University of Stara Zagora was founded under the decision of the Parliament of the Republic o fBulgaria from July 1995. The University has comprised all institutions of higher education from the territory of Stara Zagora, including the Higher Institute of Zootechnics and Veterinary Medicine, the Medical Institute, the Institute of Teachers retraining. All these have been transformed into faculties with a corporate body status. There followed reorganization oftheir libraries into a central University Library (CUL) and faculty libraries. Under the university by-law the library ofthe former Higher Institute of Zootechnics and Veterinary Medicine is to be transformed into a CUL. The university population numbers more than 3000 students and 545 lecturers. CUL is in direct relation to the research progress and education improvement. In fact, CUL is a large information institution, open to all under-graduates, post-graduates and professionals looking for agricultural information from all over the country. CUL has the following structural units:
All CUL activities are automatic. Automatization has started in 1989 with one computer. At present we already have local automatic system (Inter-CUL net). Until 1996 we have used CDISIS version 2 of UNESCO and since 1997 this has been adapted to the all-national AB-Libraries. This change is the first step towards joining to the National University Automatic Library Net, on the one side, and integration to other universal libraries from the area, on the other side. That became possible because all applied the same program. All kinds of library materials, such books, periodicals, journals proceedings of international events, oflficial publications, patents, standards, atlases, cassettes, microfilms, photocopies. company prospects and others are deposited with the aim to exercise the fimctions of information system. Literature deposited is oriented to the university specialization and is compiled tough purchases, presents, subscription. New literature is received tough the interlibrary loan. Our regular partners are 112 libraries from 29 countries. CUL services are specialized into:
AIM ofthis paper is to describe the progress ofthe information services delivered to the users ofagricultural information. It has been long ago when we started with the hand-written one-problem reference, compilation of specialized card indices containing thousands of record cards and coming to the magnetic holders and the new information technologies. The advantages of the automatic information service were felt as early as 1978 when with the help ofthe Central Agricultural Library we gained access to international automatic systems, such as Agris, Biosis and others. Most beneficial to the agrarian specialists is Agris. In the period from I 982 to 1991 about 410 of our readers were supplied with current reference and other 812 with retrospective one. At the moment we try to install CD ROM to Agris, which will save us time and guarantee direct access of the user to the database. Now we have to apply to the Central Agricultural Library, then after we have received the ordered reference pass the information to the user. Information received is not always the most precise and takes a lot oftime. Also it costs much because ofthe increasing postal expenses. Lack ofdirect contact between user and database is often a cause oflarge information "noise". Another fact of merit is that CUL is a leader among the research agricultural libraries in South East Bulgaria. The number ofagricultural research institutes in this part ofBulgaria is 15, all ofthem equipped with functioning libraries and quite a staff. However, being in the same territory and not far from the university, in particular CUL, these people find it most convenient to look for the information they need here with us. In our prognostic these are counted as fizture users of agricultural information. With some of them we have signed agreements of cooperation. With CD ROM we will promote further our CLU using the channels of the local and national media and a boom of demand is expected. One of our main tasks will be to get in touch with Agrinet which will add to our capacity for information services. Parallel with the use of other automatic systems we have started building out own database. The information services where all new accessions are processed, mainly periodicals and continuous editions, is the place where different databases started to form, including a total of 30 own databases in the fields ofveterinary medicine, animal sciences, biology, agribusiness and economics. These databases are successfully used from university staff and others. The next step (switching) in the development ofthe information services will be the installment ofnew information technologies, especially connection with Internet. At the moment the university is connected with Internet thanks to the financial help ofthe Mississippi State University (USA) under the Agreement for a mutual agribusiness project for extension services which has supplied the university with one working place only, the access to it is limited. It is possible that the vniversity will loose this only place for pressure of funds. However, there is another Internet project activated which will be fulfilled in two phases The first phase will end with the connection ofthe university with the Internet, and the second - with building ofuniversity net, which will link all university structures, CLU included. What are the reasons to build university net?
What advantages will the Tacian University have?
Ladies and gentlemen, After the round table, organized with your help, I have realized how much this means to the East European participants. For some reasons, Bulgaria has not taken part in the past meetings which has turned to a great disadvantage for us. We have missed the possibilities to learn from the success ofthe others, to receive their help and we shall start with a significant delay. In conclusion, I would like to support the idea of the building of a new information source -- electronic agricultural library, for the countries participating into the conference. This will be a possibility to improve researches and development based on high-quality information services. The problems to be discussed at the Sixth Round Table are timely and interesting to all libraries for agricultural information services in an effort to respond to the big and changing information flow in the fast-changing world. BULGARIA Thracian University Library Students Campus, 6000 Stara Zagora Total library holdings ofagricultural literature: 176,762 volumes Books: 86,762 Periodicals: 66,093 Continuous editions: 11,393 Atlases and Dictionaries: 743 Others: 11,300 Current 1996 periodicals: 257 Language division: Bulgarian: 72 Russian: 79 English: 82 French: 9 German: 6 Other languages: 6 International interlibrary loan: 29 countries 112 libraries 1996 Readers: 2,333 including students : 2,100 researchers: 233 Lended: 32,227 volumes Referred to: 19,920 Computers: 6 Program: AB-Library Librarians: 11 |
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