Library History
The Rodina Library is the largest public library in Bulgaria and the oldest in the region of Stara Zagora. It is a public library with an outpost system and serves the population of Stara Zagora Municipality.
Her chronology begins on 20/25 March 1860 with the opening of the first community center in Zeleznik initiated by the head teacher Todor Shishkov and around twenty active local residents. Founded with 51 volumes as had St Nicolas school library and with the donations of the first community leaders, aimed "to support and stimulate the literary education among our compatriots", it ends its tenth anniversary with 15,000 volumes of "different historical, moral, philosophical, etc. different contents of books available to all citizens". The fires of 1877 leave Stara Zagora without books. Burn Antiquarian and Renaissance books donated before Liberation by Todor Shishkov, Dimitar Tsonkov, Petar Ivanov. Zahari Knyazheski, Anastasia Tosheva. Today Rodina library has more than 300,000 volumes of books, periodicals, graphic and cartographic publications, notes, records, cassettes, film strips, CDs. In its funds are kept unique old-printed publications and regional studies collections, over 14 000 printed publications from beginning of ХІХ to 50s of ХХ century in Bulgarian, Russian, Greek, Romanian, French, German and English languages, separated in a fund "Rare and valuable”, including manuscripts "Letters" (1854) by Todor Shishkov, "Rhetoric" (1868) by Pentcho Droumev, "Chemistry" and "Botany" (1873) Stephen Ploskov, donated libraries of Stara Zagora municipality, the former Girls' School "Maria Luisa", the libraries of prof. Stefan Kirov, family of Milyo Kasabovi, hundreds of banned in the 50s and 60s books. First editions of almanacs, collections, newsletters, historical works, official publications, dictionaries, reference books, textbooks...
The priceless fortune, outlived the vicissitudes of history stored and preserved for the third millennium is due to our predecessors: S. Ivanchov, Peter Ivanov, Mara Shopova, Slavi Abanozov, Tosko Iliev, Konstantin Konyarov, Philip Marinov, Stefan Stamatov, Nana Manolova, Zlatka Zhekova.
The challenge of the twenty-first century for the Rodina library is not to survive, although this is the main task of many libraries and community centers in Bulgaria, and to establish itself as a local community center for information. Currently, at the library works a local network with 15 workstations and 14 custom computers. The main library and information processes are automated.
As a result of the realized Open doors project, supported by Chitalishta project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Culture, MATRA Program of the Netherlands Government and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Rodina library became the first cultural institution in Stara Zagora, in which the physical access is possible for each member of the local community. An information center for people with disabilities is created. Software to serve readers with visual impairments was installed.
With a program of the U.S. Embassy to assist the Bulgarian public libraries in 2008 was opened an American Corner. In 2009 the Rodina Library received the Hristo G. Danov award in Libraries and library work category. In 2010 received the Golden Book and Golden Seal awards. The Rodina Library is collective member of the Bulgarian Library and Information Association.
Rodina Public Library
6000 Stara Zagora, 17 Ruski blvd.
tel.: +359 42 630113, +359 42 623855, +359 42 630012
tel./fax: +359 42 603950
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
web: www.rodina-bg.org