The Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre (previously: Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Institute, Lithuanian: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras or MELC) is a Lithuanian publishing house that specializes in encyclopedias, reference works, and dictionaries.[1] The Institute, headquartered in Vilnius, is supported by the Lithuanian Republic's Ministry of Education and Science.[1]
The publishing house was established in 1997, as a reorganisation of Science and Encyclopaedia Publishers. The latter publishing house was founded in 1992 after the merger of Mokslas Publishing with the State Encyclopaedia Publishers.
Its major project is the preparation and publication of the 25-volume Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija which was completed in 2015. It also publishes several specialized encyclopedias, standard and specialized dictionaries, reference books, research monographs focusing on social science, natural science, and technology, scientific works by international authors, and popular science books.