Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre: Heritage and development (Conference paper)

Abstract

The Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre is a constituent part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, responsible for the compilation and publication of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference books. Its work follows the tradition of encyclopedic knowledge in Bulgarian culture dating back to medieval collections from the court of Tsar Simeon I in the 9th to 10th centuries. Encyclopedic content is also contained in the first Bulgarian schoolbook, published in 1824, and in the growing interest in reference publications before and after the liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire in 1878. The first Bulgarian general encyclopedia, the Encyclopedic Dictionary, was published in 1899–1907, followed by the popular Bulgarian Encyclopedia A-Ya in 1936. A specialised unit for the preparation of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference literature was established at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1955 under the name Bulgarian Encyclopedia, and was renamed the Bulgarian Encyclopaedia Scientific Information Centre in 2003. The Centre’s mission is to disseminate scientific knowledge widely and in an accessible form. The Centre’s main activities include the compilation and preparation of general one-volume and multi-volume encyclopedias, the development of methodological guidelines and technologies for new publications, the preparation of thematic vocabularies of the articles and illustrations of the editions, and editorial and compiling work. The publications of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre are of a high academic level, and the editorial and compilation work is carried out by experienced scientific encyclopedic editors, which guarantees the high professional standards of the publications. Multiple editions of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia have been published, covering a wide range of topics such as history, science, culture, and more. The Centre has also published thematic encyclopedias and electronic versions of its work, and collaborates with various organisations and publishers to continue its responsible activity of national importance.