Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre

Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre is a constituent part of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences responsible for the compilation and publication of encyclopedias and encyclopaedic 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-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 Encyclopaedic Dictionary, was published in 1899-1907, followed by the popular “Bulgarian Encyclopedia A-Ya” in 1936. A specialized unit for the preparation of encyclopedias and encyclopedic reference literature was established at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in 1955, called Bulgarian Encyclopedia, which was renamed Bulgarian Encyclopaedia Scientific Information Centre in 2003. Since its establishment the Centre 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 the editorial and compiling work. The publications of the Bulgarian Encyclopedia Scientific Information Centre are of 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. The Bulgarian Encyclopedia has published multiple editions, covering a wide range of topics such as history, science, culture, and more. The center has also published thematic encyclopedias and electronic versions of its work and collaborates with various organisations and publishers to continue their responsible activity of national importance.