Abstract:
The Central Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (CISTI) in Sofia
was established in 1962 in order to provide the methodical guidance and coordination of
the specialized information services in Bulgaria. Initially, CISTI co-operation with the
Library and Information Science (LIS) Department of the University of Sofia was
mainly aimed at the postgraduate qualification of its staff. Later, this activity was extended to cover all bodies of the meanwhile established National System for STI(NSSTI). In 1983, the both institutions established a joint Training and Methodical Centre for Scientific and Technical Information. It provided short-, middle- and longtime postgraduate courses as described in the present article. As lecturers acted not only teachers from the Department but also outstanding specialists from CISTI whose contributions are highlighted therein. The Department supported also the scientific
career of CISTI specialists offering them the opportunity to obtain PhD degree.
From 1976 onwards, CISTI started online information services for managers,
researchers and engineers by the means of databases. Being one of the few information
hosts in Bulgaria, CISTI provided access of teachers and students from the Department
to its advanced data storage and retrieval facilities for training purposes. Through this partnership the LIS education was more closely related to the practice of modern
information services. Unfortunately, CISTI was dissolved in 1993. However, its successor, the National Centre for Information and Documentation (NACID), continues its collaboration with the LIS Department although on a reduced scale.
