Friday, 01 December 2023
The modern and spacious Konya City Library

The modern and spacious Konya City Library

Konya has a rich history of libraries, like other cultural sources. The first library was opened by Emir Şemsettin Altınapa in the İplikçi Madrasah during the Seljuk Turks period. Later on, many libraries were established in the Nizamiye Hankâh, Sadreddin-i Konevî Madrasah, and Atabekiye Madrasah area by Kutlu Melek Hatun. During the Ottoman Empire, the Mevlâna Dervish Lodge Library, which still serves today, and the Yusuf Agha Libraries, established in 1795, were founded.

The public library was first established as the "National Library" in 1910 by Konya Governor Muammer Bey, in a building within the former Hürriyet School. In 1919, one officer and one clerk positions were provided by the Special Administration, and the library served under the Special Administration for many years.

 

The library was subsequently moved to Maarif houses, a building near the Serafettin Mosque, and later to the Hacı Hasan Mosque during the time of Governor Izzet Bey. The library remained at the Hacı Hasan Mosque for many years, completing its establishment preparations there. In 1947, it started operating under the name "Konya Public Library" under the Libraries General Directorate of the Ministry of National Education. In 1950, it was moved to a floor of the Halkevi building on Alâeddin Hill, which has since been demolished, and in 1955, it was opened with the Halkevi Library in the Monument Area. This building is still used as the State Theatre. In 1978, it was moved to the building in the Mevlâna field, which was built as the Mevlana Research Institute.

 

On April 17, 2009, a protocol was signed between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Konya Metropolitan Municipality, and the City Public Library building in the Mevlâna area was transferred to the Konya Metropolitan Municipality, with the decision to construct a new library building in the Culture Park by the Konya Metropolitan Municipality and to transfer the existing and new library buildings to each other. The foundation of the building was laid on March 2, 2010, and the construction of the building was completed in a short period of one year. The library moved to this new building on November 1, 2011, and started serving readers on November 28, 2011.

 

The The City Public Library building consists of four floors and a terrace floor, including the basement. The archive, binding workshop, water tank, machine room, shelter, and generator are located in the basement. On the ground floor, there is an Internet room, a Visual and Audio Material Use Room, a Preschool and Children's Department, a Youth Department, a Loan Unit, and a Conference Room. The first floor has Reading Room A, Reading Room B, Periodical Section, and Technical Services Unit. The second floor has a Study Room and group work rooms (4 rooms, each 16 m2), Konya Special Collection Library, Dining Hall, and Management Unit. The terrace floor includes two indoor/outdoor areas for activities.