National Library “Ivan Vazov”National Library “Ivan Vazov”

National Library “Ivan Vazov” was established and developed as the national library of Eastern Rumelia until its unification with the Principality of Bulgaria. It functions as a regional cultural institution under the provisions of the Law on the Protection and Development of Culture and the Law on Public Libraries. It is the town of Plovdiv’s cultural, educational, and informational center. The library provides valuable support in the educational pursuits of its users and supplements all levels of formal and informal education.

The National Library in Plovdiv provides a publicly accessible space for the creation of knowledge, the exchange of information, culture, and arts, and the promotion of civic engagement. It ensures the constructive participation of citizens in the democratic process by offering them free and unrestricted access to knowledge, ideas, culture, and information. The library guarantees access for all people to all types of public information, affirming its role in strengthening the social fabric. It promotes open access to scientific knowledge and resources, stimulating the development of science and research. At the same time, it fosters cultural integrity and intercultural dialogue, supports cultural diversity, social inclusion, and social cohesion.

The National Library “Ivan Vazov” is a national archive of Bulgarian books and periodicals. It maintains a complete collection known as the Archive of Bulgarian Literature, preserved under the Law on the Mandatory Deposit of Printed and Other Works. It also serves as a regional archive for local history informational resources and coordinates the collection, organization, preservation, and promotion of documentary and literary history and knowledge about the region. The Special Collections, which preserve documentary heritage and literary, cultural, and historical treasures dating from the 12th century onwards, are internationally renowned and are protected under the Law on Cultural Heritage.

The library provides remote access to international scientific information infrastructure, creates and maintains databases, develops bibliographic and digital resources, and offers online access to them.

The National Library “Ivan Vazov” carries out scientific research and applied research activities in the fields of library science, local studies, scientific information, cultural policy, the sociology of books and reading, and the preservation of cultural heritage. It organizes cultural, scientific, educational, and informational events with a broad thematic scope to serve its audiences.

At present, the library maintains a collection of 2,013,135 library items. It records 124,000 visits and loans 268,000 library items annually. The library is committed to the long-term development of digitization processes for its collections, investing in both technology and human resources to ensure the maintenance of a stable, effective, and flexible digital platform with freely accessible digital resources for citizens.