Regional Library Petko R. Slaveykov

From June 29 to July 4, 2026, Petko Prokopov and Georgi Georgiev—representatives of the “Petko R. Slaveykov” Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo—and colleagues from the “Sts. Cyril and Methodius” National Library in Sofia took part in a professional visit to the region of Andalusia, Spain, organized as part of the “Erasmus+” program.

The working visit included tours of various libraries in the public library networks of Almería and Roquetas de Mar, as well as the “Nicolás Salmerón” University Library at the University of Almería.

Dear Readers,

The main library building (2 Ivanka Boteva St.) will be closed to the public from August 1 to September 7, 2026, for maintenance.

During the month of August, the library’s branches will be available to visitors with the following hours:

On July 1, 2026, in the town of Strazhitsa, experts from various library fields at the “Petko R. Slaveykov” Regional Library participated in a training seminar as part of the Ministry of Culture’s project “Regional Library Playing a Leading Role in Professional Education and Continuing Education for Library Specialists in the Veliko Tarnovo Region.”

On June 23, 2026, a training seminar for librarians from the region was held in Svishtov as part of the project:

“Regional Library Playing a Leading Role in Professional Education and Continuing Education for Library Specialists in the Municipality of Svishtov”

The meeting was hosted by the “Prof. Ivan Shishmanov” City Library in Svishtov.

Representatives of the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library – Veliko Tarnovo took part in the 36th National Conference of the Bulgarian Library and Information Association (BLIA), held on June 4 and 5, 2026, in Sofia under the theme “Libraries in an Era of Global Change—A Source of Knowledge, Reliability, and Digital Information.”

The Digital Club at the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo was established as part of the project “The Regional Library—A Partner in the Information Age,” implemented with the support of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy and funded by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

We are pleased to announce that G-BOOK 3 has been included in the new EU publication “Tracing Constellations: Stories of Culture, Cooperation, and Impact across Creative Europe Cooperation Projects (2021–2024)”
The publication is issued by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and presents 50 projects funded through calls for proposals for European cooperation projects under the “Culture” sub-program of “Creative Europe” for the period 2021–2024.

The publication is structured around five thematic “constellations.” The first—“European Values and Democracy”—features projects aimed at promoting active citizenship, shared values, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue in Europe and beyond.

From May 18 to 22, 2026, a team from the P. R. Slaveykov Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo conducted a professional visit to Slovenia thanks to the Erasmus+ “Educational Mobility” program, project 2025-1-BG01-KA121-ADU-000334042. During the visit, the team toured leading libraries in Ljubljana and Radovljica to exchange best practices and ideas for development.
Modern Libraries and Innovative Services

The first stop was the “Oton Župančič” City Library in Ljubljana—one of the country’s most significant cultural institutions. With a network of 34 branches and over 1.8 million library items, it offers a wide range of services—from a bookmobile and the digitization of rare editions to a variety of cultural events and educational programs.

The library actively promotes reading through literary gatherings, exhibitions, and book clubs. An interesting feature is the “Urbana” card, which, in addition to providing access to the library, allows users to use public transportation and other services.
The Library as a Community Center

In Radovlitsa, the team visited the “Anton Linhart” Library, which serves several municipalities. Despite its small staff, it organizes hundreds of events annually and has established itself as a vibrant cultural hub. The space is modern and functional—with children’s areas, event halls, a café, and accessibility features for people with disabilities.

Particular attention is paid to the family environment, education, and access to culture through innovative services such as automated book returns and thematically organized collections.
Specialized Collections and Cultural Heritage

At the Slovene National Library in Ljubljana, the Bulgarian guests explored collections dedicated to local history and culture, including rare editions from the 16th to 18th centuries. The largest collection of miniature books in Europe is also impressive.

The group also visited the National and University Library—a symbol of Slovenian culture with a collection of over 3 million items. The building, designed by Jože Plečnik, is architecturally striking and houses valuable rare editions.

Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed herein belong solely to their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA is responsible for them.

“The Word” is a special edition of *InGlobo* magazine, created to mark May 24—as an invitation to remember why words matter.

The bibliotherapy training session for staff members of the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library was a source of inspiration and new knowledge. The training was part of the project “Regional Library as a Leader in Professional Education and Continuing Education for Library Specialists in the Veliko Tarnovo Region” (under contract with the Ministry of Culture, RD11-00-274/12.12.2025).

To mark May 11—Librarians’ Day—librarians from the “Petko R. Slaveykov” Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo had the pleasure of visiting the “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library in Sliven. The meeting turned into a true celebration of books, shared ideas, and inspiration.

Library professionals from the P. R. Slaveykov Regional Library conducted a professional working visit to Reykjavík, Iceland.

During the visit, they toured Veröld – House of Vigdís – a cultural center and institute dedicated to languages and culture, as well as the National and University Library of Iceland and the Grofin City Library, Reykjavik.

Dear Readers,

In connection with the upcoming holidays, we would like to inform you that on April 9, 2026, the library will be open to the public with holiday hours:

Main Building (2 Ivanka Boteva St.) from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
BIC "Slaveiche" (7 Simeon Veliki St.), "Buzludzha" Branch (8 Denyu Chokanov St.), and the "Art" Department (8 Krakov St.) – from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
On April 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2026, the library will be closed to the public.
Please visit us again on Tuesday, April 14, 2026.
The team at the "Petko R. Slaveykov" Regional Library wishes you a Happy Easter!

On April 1–2, 2026, the annual working meeting of the “Mizia” Local History Association was held in the village of Chiflik, Troyan Municipality. The annual event was hosted by the “Prof. Benyu Tsonev” Regional Library in Lovech.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the local history and IT departments of the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library – Veliko Tarnovo, as well as library specialists from the local history departments of the “Aprlov-Palauzov” Regional Library – Gabrovo, the “Hristo Smirnenski” Regional Library – Pleven, and the “Prof. B. Tsonev” Regional Library – Lovech.

The workshop program began with presentations by colleagues from the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo, focusing on the cultural institution’s newly published and upcoming publications. The library’s Digital Club was also presented, as well as the newly established and modernly equipped “Atelier.”

Library specialists from the libraries in Gabrovo, Pleven, and Lovech presented the projects they are working on, including new local history bibliographic indexes, digital collections, conferences, and anniversary exhibitions.

During the meeting, current issues related to the study, preservation, and promotion of local history and cultural heritage were discussed.

Current issues related to the study, preservation, and promotion of local history and cultural heritage were discussed. Library-related challenges were raised, and innovative practices in the work of local history departments were shared, along with specific approaches to local history activities by library professionals.

The meeting took place in a spirit of professional cooperation and an active exchange of ideas. The participants agreed on the need to continue joint initiatives and promote best practices in the fields of librarianship and local history.

From March 23 to 27, 2026, a four-member team from the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library – Veliko Tarnovo undertook a professional mobility visit to Asti, Italy, focused on exchanging best practices and job shadowing at the Giorgio Faletti Library.

During the visit, the participants learned about the organization of library operations, the institution’s management model, collection development, and the diverse services offered to users. They were particularly impressed by the work with children and youth, the specialized spaces for different age groups, and the library’s active participation in the cultural life of the local community.

Among the most interesting practices were the children’s section with resources adapted for children with reading difficulties, the Teen Zone, the mobile library serving communities without their own library facilities, and the “Adopt a Shelf” initiative, which encourages civic participation and support for the library.

The team also learned about the annual Passpartout cultural festival, which transforms Asti into a meeting place for writers, journalists, artists, and the general public. Of particular interest were the projects aimed at digitizing the local cultural heritage and the best practices for building sustainable relationships with the public.

A special highlight of the program was the meeting with Asti’s mayor, Maurizio Racerro. In a friendly atmosphere, they discussed opportunities for developing cultural cooperation between the sister cities of Asti and Veliko Tarnovo, as well as the importance of libraries as centers for culture, education, and community development.

The professional mobility program provided a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas, and inspiration. The participants returned with numerous best practices that can be adapted and implemented in the work of the “P. R. Slaveykov” Regional Library, for the benefit of its users and the local community.

Funded by the European Union. However, the views and opinions expressed herein belong solely to their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA is responsible for them.

A team of four people, including the director of the P.R. Slaveykov Regional Library, Veliko Tarnovo, Mariana Burova, spent three days, from March 3 to 6, immersing themselves in the heart of Budapest, among some of Hungary’s most impressive literary temples—the Hungarian Parliament Library, the “Ervin Szabó” Metropolitan Library, and the “Széchenyi” National Library. The visit was made possible thanks to “Erasmus+,” the “Educational Mobility” program, project 2025-1-BG01-KA121-ADU-000334042.

On January 23, 2026, the beautiful Portuguese city of Braga hosted the third international partner meeting of the G-BOOK 3 project: "Activities to engage the public in the social and emotional education of EU teenagers through positive gender literature and digital technologies."

On February 10, 2026, a Digital Club was opened at the Slaveiche Library and Information Center of the Petko R. Slaveikov Regional Library as part of the project "The Regional Library – a Partner in the Information Age" under Contract No. BG-RRP-1.024-0737-C01, funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, Procedure BG-RRP-1.024.

The services offered within the new digital space are completely free of charge. The club will provide opportunities for training, sharing experience, and working with modern technologies, and is open to people of all ages and social groups. Visitors will have access to free internet connectivity, online educational resources and training, electronic services, and digital content.

After the opening, the first training seminar of the year on "Regional Activities" was held in the Digital Club hall, organized by the Regional Library. During the seminar, a number of important topics were discussed, prepared by colleagues-lecturers in various fields. Milena Krasteva introduced the audience to the topic "Libraries as responsible administrators of personal data." Venera Ignatova presented her expertise on the implementation and application of various monetary reforms over the years in the deduction of literature. Ivan Blazhev drew attention to the most important elements of working with electronic signatures, and Martina Yankova-Radolova presented the application of the web-based graphic design platform Canva and Momchil Shivachev recalled special moments and practices in serving readers through the specialized Interlibrary Loan service. Kaloyan Zdravkov sparked interest with the topic of the specifics of working with the Information System for Management and Monitoring of EU Funds in Bulgaria (ISUN).

The deputy director of the P. R. Slaveykov Regional Library, Ivan Alexandrov, visited the Lucio Craveiro da Silva Library in Braga, Portugal, under the Erasmus+ program from January 22 to 25, 2026.

Winners of the fifth edition of the crime story competition "The (Un)solved Case"

1st place – "Company Car" /Yasen Kalaydzhiev: Haskovo/

2nd place – "Victim of the Horse" /Sava Vasilev: Veliko Tarnovo/

3rd place – "Cell 12" /Iliyana Koleva: Sofia/

3rd place – "Invisible Mars" /Viktoria Baramova: Varna/

3rd place – "The One Who Whispers" /Nikola Nikov: Sofia/

Special Jury Prize – "Call Back" /Miroslav Georgiev: Gorna Oryahovitsa/

Special Encouragement Prize – "The Sound of Hate" /Nadezhda Todorova – Nadika: Veliko Tarnovo/

Encouragement Award – "Passenger Without a Ticket" /Ivanina Dermonska: Sofia/

Encouragement Award for the youngest participant in this edition – "Whisper from the Past" /Valentina Tsvetanova: Montana/

For another year in 2025, the Regional Library won a project under the Ministry of Culture's "Bulgarian Libraries - Modern Centers for Reading and Information" program. The goal is for public libraries in Bulgaria to receive targeted funding to renew their collections.

The Nikolay Pavlovich Art Gallery presented an anniversary collection of selected works by cartoonist and satirist Petar Borsukov – Bor

on the occasion of the 163rd anniversary of Aleko Konstantinov's birth. The event continued with the opening of a retrospective exhibition entitled "90 Years Since the Birth of Petar Borsukov," prepared by the Petko R. Slaveykov Regional Library in Veliko Tarnovo. The editor-in-chief of the Sturshel newspaper, Mihail Veshim, and the deputy director of the library, Ivan Alexandrov, highlighted Borsukov's multifaceted talent and the connection between his work and the satirical spirit of Aleko Konstantinov. The exhibition presents the author's development over the years and his satirical view of society.

Photo: BTA

On January 6, 2026, a representative of the Department for Secondary School Students and Adult Readers "Snezhana Yaneva" at the Petko R. Slaveykov Regional Library visited the Nauka-1900 Community Center in the village of Maryan (Elena municipality) to deliver books donated by readers of the Veliko Tarnovo library.

Dear readers,

In connection with the Christmas and New Year holidays, we would like to inform you of the changes in working hours:
Working days with readers

December 22, 23, 29, and 30

The central building and all branches will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.