National Library of Turkey Millî Kütüphane

History and Founding

The National Library of Turkey (Turkish: Millî Kütüphane) was founded on April 15, 1946 under the Ministry of National Education through the Directorate of Publications, making it one of the younger national libraries in the world. Established at the initiative of librarian and bibliographer Adnan Ötüken, the institution began with a collection of just a few thousand printed works. Within its first year the collection outgrew its original premises, and by April 1947 operations moved to a temporary building, where the collection grew to approximately 60,000 items. The library opened formally to the public on August 16, 1948. In 1950, a law passed by the Grand National Assembly granted the library a separate legal identity independent of the Ministry of National Education. The current building in the Çankaya district of Ankara was planned from 1965 and completed on August 5, 1983, providing some 39,000 square meters of space.

Collections and Holdings

As of recent counts the library holds more than three million items, encompassing printed books, periodicals, manuscripts, maps, photographs, audio-visual materials, and electronic resources. Notable holdings include approximately 6,200 historical phonograph records (stone plaques), rare manuscripts and Ottoman-era periodicals, and a comprehensive deposit of Turkish national bibliographic output. The library operates the national legal deposit system, collecting copies of all publications released in Turkey, and compiles the Türkiye Bibliyografyası (Turkish National Bibliography, published since 1939) and the Türkiye Makaleler Bibliyografyası (bibliography of articles in Turkish periodicals).

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

The library maintains a substantial periodical collection including historical Turkish newspapers and magazines spanning the Ottoman and Republican eras. As a participant in the European Newspapers project led by the Berlin State Library, the National Library contributed to the digitization of centuries-old Turkish newspapers, including Ottoman-era publications originally printed in the Arabic-based script. These digitized holdings are made accessible through the European Digital Library (Europeana).

Access and Usage

Access requires registration as a member (e-membership is available). The library is open Monday through Friday from 09:00 to 22:00 and Saturday through Sunday from 09:30 to 21:00. Online services include catalog browsing through the KÂŞİF automation system, a digital library portal (ERİŞİM Millî Dijital Kütüphane), remote access to licensed databases via web proxy, and the Electronic Legal Deposit System (EyDeS) for electronic publications. The library also offers an audiobook service for visually impaired users.

Memberships and Affiliations

The library is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (General Directorate of Libraries and Publications) and is a member of IFLA, CDNL (Conference of Directors of National Libraries), CENL (Conference of European National Librarians), and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) National Library Managers group. It is also part of the Europeana digital library network.