Transforming Public Libraries as part of the National Development Plans in Turkey

Public libraries in Turkey are administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, General Directorate of Libraries and Publications. As of the end 2014, 1121 public libraries offered user services to nearly 21 million people, the majority of whom were children and youth; this was an increase of 2.75% from the previous year. Such an increase is significant if one takes into consideration the challenges presented by digital materials and internet technologies. In Turkey, the majority of public libraries were built before the 1980’s; most of these are not suitable for the needs and requirements of new-generation users. The Ministry of Culture, in cooperation with the Ministry of Development, initiated a project for the renewal of public library buildings. The renewal program is based on the 10th National Development Plan published in 2014, covering the period of 2014 and 2018. Initially, 10 public libraries, located in different regions of the country, were included in the renewal program. The main criteria for selection was the urgency created by the state of the current buildings. The project for the transformation of public libraries is not limited to the construction of new buildings. It also entails redefining the requirements and functions of the public libraries and creating a new social environment to meet these requirements and functions. The Ministry of Culture commissioned the author to develop the functional requirements of library services that would be suited to the needs of current and future users. A number of technical and conceptual documents have been produced to assist the designers and architects who are, or wıll be, commissioned for the re-building of public libraries. This paper outlines the efforts made by a number of stake holders, including government departments and universities, in transforming public libraries in Turkey.