Background

For more than 13 years Dora Gabe Library has worked in the area of automation of library information processes. By the end of 2000 an automated computer system was built, consisting of 18 computers, part of which servicing local working places and others working in a local network.

In 2000 a second network system was built with improved technical and user s parameters and characteristics. It serves the information-guidance activity, the e-mail and the Internet access by a modem. In such way the library complies with its objectives connected with the speed and quality of processing the librarian documents and with providing quick and more complete information to its users. The striving for universality of the information services and building of information culture in the users of library services raises the desire and ambition in our team to set up an Information Center.

Practice
For the realization of the Project Dora Gabe Library Public Center for Information, the library received financial support from the International Library Program of Soros Institute in Budapest , from the Library Program of Open Society Foundation Sofia and a number of partners. In such way computers, a scanner and licensed software were ensured. This is a long-term project. Its first stage (from September 1, 2000 to December 31, 2001) concluded with a report and a financial account for the donor organizations. Two advisers were appointed at work in the Center with labour agreements for 2 years and remuneration in accordance with the partner declarations of the Regional Association for Employment and Structure Development and the Municipality of Dobrich.

Before the official opening a lot of preparatory work was performed in connection with the organization of the technics, training of the personnel, acquainting with the work of similar centers, configuring of the web-server with a possibility of uploading unlimited number of pages. The official opening of the C enter is devoted to the 50-th anniversary of the library. The Center has 5 working places for citizens for free access to Internet and other computer work. Searching information can be made alone or with the assistance of a consultant.

The library organizes monthly demonstrations of its Web site, which includes various and up-to-date information about the Library, the town and the region, and information about free working places at project partners. Dora Gabe Library is the first municipal library in the country, which independently, without using external services, provides on-line access to all its e-catalogues, and in such way steps in the global information net. The Web site is registered at different Web-browsers and links to separate parts of it have been opened at different portals. The Web site is being constantly updated. Advertising banners provide links to pages devoted to different cultural-educational initiatives of the Library. The practice of publishing librarian and other issues in an e-variant is winning recognition. As a new form of building and developing librarian-information culture in users, Internet lessons are performed: First steps in , Internet in help of training in .

At the Internet club has started work the first in Bulgaria librarian virtual club Children in the Web , established with the partnership of Association Children in the Web . This club is indicated as a useful practice in the European Librarian Program Pulman. Some Web-site pages are presented in different languages (for the day of French-speaking, a page of Children in the Web , etc.). Visitor of the Center are also the participants of the summer children club Patilanci .

The Library also provides information from data-bases of National Current Librarian Information and other libraries, information on CD - ROM and DVD, multimedia, as well as traditional bearers of information dictionaries, reference books, ency c lopedias, small and official publications. Legal and normative information is provided by the legal Siela.

Results

The Information Center of Dora Gabe Library is successfully winning recognition in the information room. Web-site of Dora Gabe Library was developed, which includes various information about the library, the town, the region, on-line access to the catalogues of the Library, information about free working places and a data-base of Useful Internet Sites , providing links and reference to addresses of libraries, information centers, different governmental and non-governmental organizations and well-known web browsers. Training and qualification is conducted for the librarian specialists from the Library and from the region.

Providing free access for users, being at a distance, to the existing librarian resources, The Library has found its place in the global information room. Enlargement of the Web-site is envisaged with more electronic issues, new information, preparation of Web-guide; presenting of language versions; building of multimedia and virtual libraries.