Library collection – print resources
The most extensive collection of scientific medical literature in Bulgaria
The print collection of the Central Medical Library contains over 340,000 volumes of literature, including Bulgarian and foreign printed books, textbooks, journals, dissertations, etc., in the fields of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Health Care and Public Health. 3D printed anatomical models are also available. This is the richest specialized medical library collection in Bulgaria. Its completion began in 1918, when the library of the Faculty of Medicine was established, and continues on an ongoing basis to this day. Additions of new literature are made both by purchase with own funds and by national deposit, and also by donations, which play an essential role in enriching the collections.
Where and how to find the literature
Most of the printed literature is housed in four book stores in the library building, three of which are equipped with a modern shelving system. Access to these is restricted to library staff who will check out the document you are looking for on request.
The newest and most frequently used literature is located in the open-access reading rooms and is part of what is known as the “loan collection”.
You can check the availability of print resources in our electronic catalogue, which is available online at any time. It organizes all post-1991 acquisitions as well as some older documents. The catalogue allows you to search by title, author, keyword, etc., and also has additional features to filter results, for example by document type, date of publication or registration, language, etc. In order to find the relevant document in the library, once you have searched for it in the catalogue, it is best to provide its signature number to a librarian who will direct you to where it is located or look it up for you.
The catalogue processes and indexes by keywords all individual articles from the Bulgarian journals submitted to the collection. This allows you to search not only for journals, but also for individual publications in them. Currently, the print periodicals are only from Bulgarian publishers, while foreign journals are subscribed to and made available in electronic format through online databases.
Use and lending
The majority of print resources are intended for use in reading rooms only and are not exported. This applies to all journals, reference literature, dissertations and books with a small number of copies available. Books that may be borrowed for home use include multi-volume textbooks and reference books intended for the students or faculty of the Medical University-Sofia, according to service rules. External users who are not studying or working at MU-Sofia may not take books home.
Part of the printed library collection is digitized by scanning, the main purpose of which is long-term preservation and reference. Due to copyright compliance, not all scanned copies can be distributed by making them freely available to users. Consult our librarians for more information.