site.btaLibrarian Vesselina Spassova: Chitalisthe Library Is Part of Svisthtov's Cultural Memory with Its 100,000 Books

The library of the Elenka and Kiril D. Avramovi - 1856 First Bulgarian Chitalishte Community Centre holds extremely valuable library documents, said librarian Vesselina Spassova here on Friday. She was a guest speaker at the presentation of the January issue of the Bulgarian News Agency's LIK magazine, titled "Chitalishta: Past and Future." 

The community centre's libary in Svisthtov preserves timelessness, traditions, and sustainability in old printed editions and manuscripts, some of which date back to the 16th century, said Spassova. According to her, the library's initial collection was formed with 800 volumes of books in Greek, Slavic, Serbian, and various other languages donated by teacher Emanuil Vaskidovich. Over the years, the library's collection has been enriched with unique church Slavonic printed books and manuscripts. Any library would be proud of such a literary treasure, said Spassova, listing some of the literary heritage preserved at the community centre in Svishtov.

Libraries, as the oldest cultural institutions, play an important role in the life of their community, she noted. Through their core functions, they provide users and visitors with lifelong learning, introduce them to contemporary creativity, preserve local history in library collections, and bring the community together for events. Cultural values are part of the rich movable material cultural heritage. Their digitization contributes to Bulgarian and world cultural heritage, thus ensuring its protection and preservation for future generations. Modern technologies create opportunities for much broader and more efficient access to library resources and collections. The library team works to present its holdings, collections, and archives in an attractive way, Spassova added.

The library in Svishtov is almost 170 years old and is one of the oldest institutions in Bulgaria. Interesting library collections stored here include the Vaskidovich Fund, manuscripts and old prints, first textbooks, the Pre-Liberation Fund, issues of the State Gazette, and diaries of the National Assembly.