Alternative Suggestions for Those Looking for Silence While Working: Libraries in Ankara

Ankara is also known as the city of universities. The capital, which has 19 universities, has very important libraries for students and researchers. There is demand for these libraries not only from Ankara but also from all over the country. Many graduate students come to Ankara during their thesis process and especially benefit from the archives of the National Library. In addition, the fact that people of all ages choose libraries as a study area to prepare for exams has been an important issue for the formation of a library culture in Ankara.

We have compiled the libraries that you should keep in mind in Ankara, which hosts various libraries according to various areas of interest. Whether you are studying for exams, doing research or just a bookworm who loves libraries, we are sure that this article will be very useful for you.

Presidential National Library

The National Library, established by the Presidency, has the title of "the largest library in Turkey". The library is established on an area of ​​125,000 m² and has a seating area of ​​5,500 people. According to the information on the website, there are 2,039,000 printed sources, 1,999,633 issues of 13,294 printed journals. In addition, there are 665,000 e-books, 7,000,000 electronic theses and 209,000,000 articles, reports, etc. belonging to nearly 77,000 e-journals in the 67 databases that can be accessed.

Research Libraries No. 3 and 4, Cihannüma Hall and the reading rooms on the 2nd floor are open 24 hours a day, and the usage hours of other halls are written on the website according to your needs. The library is closed only on Sundays from 24:00 to 12:00 on Mondays for cleaning.

You can easily access the resources you need in the library environment where you can work with your computer. In addition to free hot drinks and water, there is also soup service at certain times. You can also order food from outside and eat it in the dining hall. There are also open and closed parking lots for those who want to go by car.

National Library

Everyone who lives in Ankara or studies in this city definitely has a memory of the National Library. The National Library, where it is very difficult to find a place during midterm and final exams, is under such interest as if it were the only library in Ankara. There are people who come regularly every day to study for not only university exams but also all exams in the country and wait in queues.

For this reason, coming here to read or do research sometimes becomes an ordeal. Still, no one can easily give up on the National Library. The library, which is open between 09:00 and 24:00, is closed only on Sundays. You can see the occupancy rate of its halls on the website and go accordingly. You cannot enter without a membership, but you can quickly become a member at the ticket office. Since you will ask for the books from the staff at the counter, you need to fill out a book ticket there. If you are a National Library member wearing a maroon beret, you can put five or ten of these tickets in your bag and fill them out at home before coming to the library. You can access the bibliography of all the works in the library on the website.

If we were to quote the National Library in February 2022 figures, there are 1,170,363 printed books, 27,464 manuscripts, 230,851 newspapers and magazines in the light of the information on the website. We also recommend that you visit the National Library if you want to listen to gramophone records.

Bilkent University Library

Bilkent University Library, one of the best university libraries in the country, is not appealing to everyone as it is only open to its own students and graduate students of other schools, despite its good facilities. If you meet these conditions, you can use the library to benefit from its resources, do research and study. The library is open from 8:30 to 23:30 on weekdays and from 09:00 to 23:30 on weekends.

Adnan Ötüken Public Library

Adnan Ötüken Public Library, which is a central location like Kızılay and where high school students from Ankara have spent a lot of time and collected memories, has a building designed by Paul Bonatz, a representative of the Second National Architecture Movement. In this respect, it has a historical texture. Although it hosts approximately 600,000 works, the majority of these works were moved there with the establishment of the Millet Library. The library, which is closed on Sundays, is open between 08:00 and 20:30 on other days. We definitely recommend that you visit it due to its history and accessibility.

CerModern Library

CerModern, a modern art center, keeps the pulse of modern art in Ankara with its exhibitions and artistic events. You can come here for various art events or spend your day researching art in the library. Cermodern Library, which has the slogan “An art library worthy of Ankara”, is open with works in the fields of art, performing arts and thought.It has an archive that you can access.

VEKAM Library

VEKAM, the branch of Koç University's research centers in Ankara, has a beautiful collection for researchers and enthusiasts who do urban studies with its library on the lower floor of the garden house. This library, where you can access studies and works about Ankara, is open between 09:00 and 17:00 on weekdays. Since it works with an appointment system, if you are going there for work purposes, you need to contact the VEKAM library first.

Goethe Institute Library

Offering a rich archive with German resources, the Goethe Institute will be very helpful to you in your German learning process. In addition to written texts, you will also have the opportunity to learn German by listening to audio sources. The library located on Atatürk Boulevard may be a place that you have definitely passed by and has attracted your curiosity with its calm stance. The Goethe Institute, which you have now learned that you can work by entering, offers an environment where you can get to know German culture closely and participate in its activities in Ankara.

Turkish Historical Society Library and Turkish Language Society Library

The Turkish Historical Society Library, located in the Turkish Historical Society building, has a collection where many students working in the field of history can access resources. The library, which also contains manuscripts, is open between 09:00-17:30. There is also a hall where you can work and photocopy facilities.

The Turkish Language Society Library, on the other hand, has an archive open to access works with a work area within the institution. If you are working in the field of Turkish Language and Literature and Turkology, you can find manuscripts, theses and other studies that you can access in this library. The library is open between 09:00-18:00. Both libraries are closed on weekends.

TBMM Library

The Turkish Grand National Assembly Library has continued its existence since the assemblies established in the Ottoman period. The library, which was established in 1916 within the Chamber of Deputies, was also officially established for the TBMM, which opened in 1920. You can go to the library during weekday working hours when there is no General Assembly Meeting by obtaining permission in advance. The library, which is also open during parliamentary holidays, is closed only on weekends. Although the library is only open to parliamentary employees, you can access the work you want by applying, provided that it is not available in other libraries. The library, which has approximately 400,000 works, also has newspaper archives and manuscripts.

Bonus: Ali Dayı Children's Library

Ali Dayı Children's Library, which is the first children's library in Turkey, is important for your children to have a good time and gain reading habits. Children can spend time with their families here and it contains special books for children between the ages of 0 and 16. This library, which was established in a two-story building, was donated to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism by Hamdullah Suphi Kenanoğlu in 1985. The Kenanoğlu couple, who loved children very much but could not have children, turned the house they lived in into a children's library.

The library is open from 08:00 to 17:00, except for Sundays, with its 20,000 books. You can also borrow books by becoming a member.

It is possible to find a library for every age and every taste in Ankara. You can spend hours in libraries, whether you are getting lost in the archives for academic work, working quietly, or increasing your culture like Jack London's famous Martin Eden character. We wish you a pleasant study process.

Written by: Selin Hızarcı