Ever since its inception in 1961, the Medical University of Varna has been publishing handbooks necessary for the educational process. From the beginning of the 1970s it possesses its own offset printing facilities. Each new decade has brought new necessities and goals. The need of change and the different organization of the processes related to the University publishing activities required a new beginning. Thus, on September 16, 2013, Varna Medical University Press was founded.
Varna Medical University Press through the Years
The beginning was marked by the sound foundations in compliance with the current University regulations, those in the country and with the international standards. After thorough research, the Publishing Department Rules and Regulations were developed, as well as annual planning of the publishing activities by means of the Annual Publishing Plan, and Ethical Norms for publishing in the scientific journals.
The next step was the purchase of subscription to the antiplagiarism program iThenticate, which is used by the leading publishing houses in the world and allows quick check of the scientific texts before their publishing. During these 5 years, Varna Medical University Press has bought the translation rights for publishing in Bulgarian the following textbooks: Schwartz’s Principles of Surgery and Textbook of Clinical Radiology. All this is proof of the intention of MU-Varna to have serious publishing activities.
Varna Medical University Press is the first in the country to introduce an online platform for automation of the processes of publishing of the MU-Varna periodicals. This allows easy and quick submission, copyediting and reviewing of an article from any place in the world at any time of the day. The online platform also offers full-text access to the already published issues of all university periodicals. In addition, Varna Medical University Press has created an online system for conference management, where all events organized by the University are registered and the abstract submission process is managed, participants can register, and programs, abstracts and proceedings are published.
In response to the requirements of the leading databases, MU-Varna has started publishing new, specialized journals. In addition to Scripta Scientifica Medica, the Department fully manages the organization and activities related to Varna Medical Forum, Scripta Scientifica Medicinae Dentalis, Scripta Scientifica Pharmaceutica, Scripta Scientifica Salutis Publicae, and Scripta Scientifica Vox Studentium. The Department is a partner in the publishing of the following journals: Bulgarian Review of Ophthalmology, Health Economics and Management, Heart-Lung, Annual for Hospital Pharmacy, and Scientific Publications of the Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy.
Varna Medical University Press has its own facilities for digital and offset print. In 2015 a Xerox Versant 2100 digital printing machine was bought. It can produce 100 copies of a 100-page book in only 100 minutes. The University Publishing Department is the first in the country with a machine with such parameters. A team of editors and specialists in the sphere of design, pre-press and print work together for the quality publishing of monographs, scientific and education literature, scientific anthologies, materials related to the MU-Varna activities, applicant handbooks, guidebooks and materials, and periodic informational journals (Infoacademica, Student’s Life). Varna Medical University Press has three bookstores and an online store with both national and international shipping.
This year, Varna Medical University Press participated for the first time in the largest traveling book fair in the country – Book Alley.
The journey continues towards the next 5 years and the new exciting challenges, which they will offer.