Educational Alternatives, Volume 19, 2021

Abstract: Library information systems represent a very important infrastructure for the modern knowledge-based information society. They are essential for the modern education system and research as well as for cultural, technological and economic development. Libraries have to keep pace with knowledge and culture, and they must provide conditions required for dialogue and cooperation, which represent the most important basis for development. Libraries can do this more effectively if they are linked in a uniform library information system. COBISS (Co-operative Online Bibliographic System and Services) represents an organisational model of joining libraries into a library information system with shared cataloguing, the COBIB shared bibliographic/catalogue database and local databases of participating libraries, the COLIB database on libraries, the CONOR authority database, and a number of other functions. COBISS has been providing e-services supported by modern information and communication technology to libraries and library users since the 1980s. We would like to present the usability of the COBISS system in Bulgarian libraries and its benefits it brings to Bulgarian libraries for being a part of the library information systems network COBISS.net.