The Turkish National Library towards the Future

Abstract

Planning for the Turkish National Library (TNL) began in 1946, and the library was opened in 1948. It outgrew its first building, and in 1983 moved to a new one which contained several new facilities. Its main functions are to collect works produced in and relating to Turkey, to record them and produce bibliographies of them, to establish an information network in Turkey, and to perform a leadership role. The collection numbers 1,500,000 items, including non-book materials; the TNL has two thirds of all Turkish books published in the old script. Last year there were 222,000 users. The library's Bibliographical Institute issues monthly the national bibliography and a bibliography of articles in Turkish periodicals, as well as other bibliographies, and constructs union catalogues. Work on automation started in 1987, and the TNL's computer-based information system, with an OPAC (containing records of a third of the library's stock), information networks and various CD-ROMs, was opened to the public in 1993. Future projects include an online union catalogue of foreign language books, digitization of manuscripts and rare books, a conservation laboratory, and an improved automatic conveyor system. Main barriers to progress are the inadequacy of the Free Copy Act and insufficient numbers and quality of staff.