Global Libraries - Bulgaria Foundation

The Global Libraries - Bulgaria Foundation was established in 2013 as a non-governmental organisation for public benefit, succeeding the goals and results of the 'Bulgarian Libraries - a place for access to information and communication for everyone' programme, implemented in Bulgaria from 2009 to 2013 with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (USA). Its Board of Trustees includes Bulgaria's Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications, the National Donation Fund '13th Century Bulgaria', the National Association of Municipalities, the Bulgarian Library and Information Association and the Union of Chitalishte.

The Foundation's mission is to support the inclusion of Bulgarian citizens in the global information society and to promote civic participation, working towards: free and equal access to information, internet and electronic services; information literacy, lifelong learning, civic participation, social cohesion and local/community development; the social integration of disadvantaged groups and equal opportunities for education and healthcare through improved access to information; the development of public libraries; and intercultural dialogue and international contacts.

The Foundation works with a network of over 980 public libraries and regional, municipal and community centres, covering 260 municipalities across Bulgaria, which in many cases are the only place of access to information resources and services for the local population. The libraries in the network are equipped with computer, communication and peripheral equipment: about 4,900 workstations (computers), about 1,000 printers and multi-function devices, 790 projectors and 1,950 routers are in operation.

No formal outcome evaluation of the Foundation's work is cited in the available source material; the network's value lies chiefly in its scale, as in many communities it is the only local access point to information resources and services.