IAALD NEWS 
 Central and Eastern Europe
Information Services Supplied to the Agricultural Science and Education in Bulgaria
Demireva Ivanka Director, Central Library, Thracian University, Stara Zagora, BULGARIA

The changes that have been taking place in Bulgaria since 1989 have strongly affected information services of the agricultural sciences and education. Libraries have been confronted with several problems such as decrease in subsidies, constant changes in library organization and shifting of library staff, and lack of proper regulations. All of this has much degraded efficiency of library services. Also, the number of users that use modern electronic information technologies has not been very significant.

The task of organizing of a nationwide system of information services was placed upon the libraries that have been instituted in the circuit of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Agrarian Reform, and the Ministry of Education. The Center of Scientific, Technical and Economic Information (CSTEI) in Sofia is the national coordinator for the collection and dissemination of information related to science, industry and education. CSTEI pays special attention to business information. There are in Bulgaria 81 research institutes and stations. They all maintain a library or an information center. The regional research institutes have been organized within the frame of the Bulgarian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (BAAS).

Until 1990 a net of more than 560 public bureaus of scientific, technical and economic information served scientific and technical communities in agricultural production, processing industry and machine building. Agrarian reform, which began with restitution of land property rights and privatization of the former state assets has brought about termination of activities of these bureaus. No new organizational forms have as yet been introduced in their place.

Information structures and activities of the Ministry of Agriculture have been very much reduced. Some of the information offices have been closed and their activities transferred to other departments. Staff at the CSTEI has shrunk from 120 to 61. The Central Agricultural Library now employs a staff of 18, as opposed to 38 in 1990. Staff has been reduced partially due to the financial problems, but also due to significant reduction in the number of users. There has been also a reduction in library collections. Unfortunately, the Ministry has so far not developed a restorative program as to the fate of information professionals and information activities.

Users of agricultural scientific and education material are served by the libraries at universities, colleges, and technical schools of the Ministry of Education. There are 5 university libraries which have important collections of information sources related to the programs of studies and research. Local area networks as well as Internet facilities are in use. The libraries possess different electronic databases. Libraries in general play an active role in the process of education and are amongst the pioneers of the new information society in Bulgaria.

At colleges and technical schools there are 36 libraries. Librarians are well trained and experienced, what is especially the case with the university libraries, nevertheless their jobs are not very secure. Job reductions, cessation of activities of information centers, low salaries, and lack of efficient regulation, all combine in reasons why library and information professionals look for higher income jobs outside of the existing library and information structures.

Thracian University library has been facing the same dilemmas. However, the 6th Round Table in Tucson, Arizona has had a positive effect on information services, including the construction of the Bulgarian AgroWeb. Bulgaria has actively started to participate in the WAICENT. At the same time the university library has become a member of CARIS and the Bulgarian depository FAO library within the AGLINET. Further improvement in information services is expected.