The Librar-e Turkey Project is a 28-month pilot project involving 26 provinces and 52 district libraries across Turkey. It aims to promote public libraries and librarianship in Turkey. The project team has worked to build support from the library community by organizing meetings with library school faculty and students to engage future librarians. They have also held meetings with directors of pilot public libraries who expressed more motivation than expected.

1. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
Ahmet ÇELİK
Advocacy Expert

2. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
Brief Information
Name of the project: Librar-e Turkey
Main slogan: «Turkey will meet in the Librar-e»
Type of project: Pilot (26 province and 52 district
libraries)
Duration: 28 months
Beginning date of the project: July 1, 2013
Number of person who works in the project: 6
fulltime, 6 part-time, and 6 liasion officers)

3. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
Brief Information -2-Turkish public libraries are centrally organized
under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism,
General Directorate of Libraries and Publications.
-As of Dec. 1st 2013, 1118 PLs, and 2950
employees
-Organizational structure has advantages and
disadvantages (adv: dealing with just one
authority, disadvantage: if there is problem with
this authority you can’t do anything)

4. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
What have we experienced?
-First of all, it is a very exciting project. We believe
that, this project is a chance to promote public
libraries and librarianship, that have been neglected
for such a long time.
-Our project’s beginning date is new, comparing to
the other countries in Europe. But, this is not a
disadvantage for us, because we benefit from the
experiences of other countries.
-As a new project, we have not had too much things
to tell you at the moment. I just want to share about
our experience with the library community.

5. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
What have we experienced? -2-Target groups in terms of advocacy works:
.Government agencies and private organizations
.Media
.Society in general
.Library community
Library community was chosen as the first target
group, thus full support of this group is curicial
for success of the project. Our aim is to build a
coalition within the academic community and
obtain students’ participation.
*This presentation focused only to the works within
the library community.

6. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
What have we experienced? -3We organized meetings with the faculty and
students of the Library Schools in Turkey. A
formal structure for the students have organised
with the motto of « to create future libraries
with the future librarians». They can contribute
by:
-Collecting information from citizens
-Training the library workers and citizens
-Advocating the project in society

7. LIBRAR-E TURKEY PROJECT
What have we experienced? -4Project team hold a meeting with the directors
of the pilot public libraries. Till the meeting, we
were expecting possible expressions of “lack of
motivation” (due to lack of personnel, being
overworked and underpaid, expectancy of
we
retirement, sheer hopelessness, etc. ), yet it
turned out to be different.
- participated in meetings and events on
information issues.
- prepared and published materials in
librarianship journals.