Prosveten Luch Public Chitalishte was established in 1905 in Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria. The chitalishte library serves as the cultural, educational, and information center for the town. The library seeks to provide equal access to information for all residents through various projects implemented in partnership with other organizations. Recent projects included receiving computers through the Global Libraries program, promoting folklore and tourism with Dutch students, compiling a traditional recipes book, and plans to fully reconstruct the library building.

1. LIBRARY AT PROSVETEN LUCH 1905
PUBLIC CHITALISHTE
SAPAREVA BANYA
PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED IN
PARTNERSHIP. SHARED EXPERIENCE

2. Prosveten Luch Public Chitalishte was established in 1905.
Traditionally, the library is the foundation of the chitalishte. Our
chitalishte library is a public library on the territory of Sapareva
Banya, built on the principles of closeness, accessibility and efficiency of
the library and information service provision to our 4,000 inhabitants.
MISSION:
Our mission is to be an intermediary
between information and users in
the fast-paced world and work for
the establishment of the library as a
public information and cultural
center providing equal access to
all, including disadvantaged groups.

3. Our library is a fundamental and inseparable part of our town’s
cultural, educational and information infrastructure.
Principles of our library operations include:
Freedom of information
Access for everyone
Contribution to local culture development
Library without walls
To pursue its mission, our library seeks to
mobilize additional financial resources
through participation in projects, fundraising,
donations, etc.

4. PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP:
Global Libraries – Bulgaria
Folklore and Tourism in Sapareva Banya
Region
Traveling Neighbor’s Plate
Reconstruction of the Chitalishte Building

5. GLOBAL LIBRARIES – BULGARIA
The project is implemented within the
Global Libraries – Bulgaria Program of
the Ministry of Culture and the United
Nations Development Program. This
program is implemented at the
initiative of Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation. Our library joined it at the
first stage of its implementation with
the support of Sapareva Banya
Municipality.

6. MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Our library received three
desktop computer configurations
and a multimedia device.
• Provision of free internet to
library visitors.
• Participation in the multi-
component training of librarians.
The library before the renovation

7. ACHIEVED RESULTS
• The Global Libraries Program has changed the image of our
library, transforming it into a modern information center. The
number of people who want to use the computers is very big. My
request to the program management is to increase the number
of computers and multimedia devices so that the library can
respond to users’ demands.
• We have included our patrons in the global information society
and thus we have improved the quality of their lives.

8. FOLKLORE AND TOURISM IN
SAPAREVA BANYA REGION
The project was implemented under the
Youth Program of the Ministry of Youth
and Sport in partnership with Aleko
Konstantinov Vocational High School of
Tourism and Administration in Sapareva
Banya and a group of young people from
the Netherlands.

9. MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Welcoming and getting to
know the young people from
the Netherlands
• Presentation on Sapareva
Banya and its landmarks
• Hiking to Ovcharchenski
Waterfalls
• Organize an ethnographic
exhibition at the chitalishte
• Organize a folklore concert
with the folklore companies in
the municipality

11. OTHER PROJECT ACTIVITIES
Hiking from Sapareva Banya to
the Seven Rila Lakes
Renew hiking signs
Renew hiking trail marking
Excursion to Rila Monastery
Publish a songbook of folklore
songs from our region
Renewal of hiking trail signs

12. ACHIEVED RESULTS
The library expanded its collections with the valuable regional
studies publication “Songbook”. Project participants and
active readers collected and recorded folklore songs from our
region.
The implementation of this project facilitated young people’s
personality development. They learned to work in a team
and found new friends.
Our region’s folklore, traditions and natural grandeurs were
promoted.

13. TRAVELING NEIGHBOR’S PLATE
The project was implemented under the
PHARE Program, measure “Development of
Local Cultural Initiatives”, by the municipal
administration of Sapareva Banya and its
key partner Prosveten Luch 1905 Public
Chitalishte.

14. MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Unite people in the
Good neighbors are a real treasure.
community around natural
neighbors’ relations
• Revive and diversify
neighbors’ relations across
the municipality
• Collect and preserve
traditional culinary recipes
from our region

15. OTHER PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Prepare a schedule and
itineraries for the traveling
neighbor’s plate
• Collect recipes in a template
• Organize a culinary exhibition
and a folklore concert
Project kick-off

16. Traditional dishes The traveling neighbor’s plate

17. ACHIEVED RESULTS
The traveling neighbor’s plate toured more than 400
houses across the municipality.
The library’s role was to prepare the templates for the
traditional dishes and promote the idea of compiling a
recipe book among its patrons. More than 200 recipes for
Bulgarian dishes were collected, systematized and
sent for printing.
The library’s and chitalishte’s influence among municipality
inhabitants enhanced.

18. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CHITALISHTE BUILDING
The project is implemented under the Rural
Development Program of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Food, measure 321. The
project proposal was designed by the
Municipality and its beneficiary is the
chitalishte. The project amount
totals BGN 928,874.

19. MAIN PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Improve the population’s
access to cultural services
related to local population’s
and town visitors’ leisure and
recreation time
• The project envisages total
reconstruction of the
library, the cinema hall and the
other chitalishte halls
• The project also envisages new
furniture

20. EXPECTED RESULTS
• By implementing this project, we hope to improve the library’s
public image, expand its impact among new patrons and guests
of Sapareva Banya.
• The Municipality has supported us and designed this large-scale
project. While we hoped that the reconstruction would be
finalized by 2010, it was launched in September 2011.
• We hope that after the end of the project we will have a modern
library meeting readers’ new demands.

21. Our good partners also include Hristo Botev
Primary School, St. Anna Kindergarten, the disabled
people’s club, etc.
Partnership is a decisive factor for mobilizing
project funding and implementation; as long as
understanding and a helping hand are
available, results are easy to achieve.

22. THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION!
Prepared by Yordanka Neshova, Librarian at
Prosveten Luch 1905 Public Chitalishte, Sapareva Banya
e-mail: proluch@abv.bg; GLBG0759@glbulgaria.bg