History
The library was set as an independent unit of the Institute of Botany in 1956 on the basis of the book-stock of the Natural History Museum at the Royal Institutes for Natural Sciences and after its splitting from the library of the Institute of Zoology. At that time the book-stock comprises about 5 500 books and journals of which 223 volumes were saved up to day with the exlibrises of Prince Alexander Batemberg, King Ferdinand I Saxkoburggotski, King Boris III, Queen Joanna, Princesses Evdokia and Nadezhda. During the past years the book-stock has increased and as an endowment were included parts of the private libraries of Acad. Nikolai Stoyanov, Acad. Daki Yordanov, Assoc. Prof. Slavcho Ganchev, Prof. Boris Kitanov, Prof. DSc Bogdan Kouzmanov, Ass. Prof. Panayot Panov, Prof. Ivan Bondev, Prof. DSc Emanuel Palamarev.

The library is mainly supplied by subscription, book exchange, and endowment. Current periodicals received through international exchange number over 120 titles. Some books were received as an endowment of employees of the Institute of Botany and also from organizations and companies such as Open Society (data-base Index Kewensis), Volkswagen, Swiss League for Biodiversity Conservation represented by Mr. Pierre Gallant, OPTIMA, IAPT, and Bulgarian Botanical Society.

Nowadays, the library is the only national specialized unit for botanical bibliography with basic book-stock of 24077 library units, of which 9256 book volumes, 14 821 periodical volumes, 104 PhD theses, card-index “Personalia”.

The oldest book kept in the library dates from 1676: Dodart, M. Memoires pour servir a l’histoire des plantes.

There is a reading-room, visited annually by more than 4000 readers.

Since 2002 the catalogue of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences could be used on-line (http://www.cl.bas.bg).