A Modern Space in History: Beyazıt State Library
Being the first library established by State in Turkey, Beyazıt State Library offers a modern service 7/24 to researchers and readers in a historic building benefiting from technological capabilities.
Beyazit State Library, established during the reign of Abdülhamid II, is a first of its kind in several aspects. Abdulkadir Öztuğrul, Director of Beyazıt State Library, gave information about the history of, and the services rendered to the readers by, the library established in 1884.
Öztuğrul who told that Beyazit State Library Building was established in the building which was once used as the Almshouse of Beyazıt Mosque said that it was the only institution that did not change its status and purpose during the transition from the Ottoman State to the Republic of Turkey.
Öztuğrul said, "Our library is equipped with modern technology that can meet all the needs of the readers. At the same time, it undertakes the task of transferring historical knowledge to future generations." He pointed out that the library has vast resources.
Telling that the library's warehouses are about to reach a fullness of one hundred percent, Öztuğrul added that Rami Barracks will provide extra space and relief.
Abdulkadir Öztuğrul, Director of the Beyazıt State Library
The Library of Firsts
In addition to being the first national library, it is the first fully equipped children's library, the first library where the first book-binding workshop and printing house were established, and the first 24-hour-open library affiliated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
At the same time, the library, which is the first building where production of audio books for visually impaired individuals started, has over a thousand volunteering readers. In the library, audio book services are provided to approximately 500 disabled people annually.
All kinds of books, magazines, newspapers and non-book materials published in Turkey are collected since 1934 pursuant to the Compilation Law. Thus, Beyazıt State Library also stands out as a depository library.
In the library, there is a total of 1 and a half million materials including nearly 900 thousand registered books; 65,000 non-book materials including postcards, maps, cinema posters; 33 thousand kinds of magazines consisting of 135 thousand volumes; more than 5,000 audio books.
The library, which was visited by nearly 140 thousand readers in 2018, received more than 67 thousand readers in the first 6 months of 2019.
