Number of libraries in country increases to 34,555

ANKARA 

With a 1.7 percent rise, the number of libraries across the country has increased to 34,555 in 2021, the Turkish Statistical Institution (TÜİK) has declared.

In a statement issued on June 7, the institution listed, “There is 1 National Library, 1,252 public libraries, 612 university libraries and 32,690 formal and non-formal education institutions’ libraries throughout Turkey.”

When the number of books in the libraries was analyzed, there were approximately 34.3 million books at formal and non-formal education institutions’ libraries, some 22.4 million at public libraries, 20.1 million at the university libraries and some 1.5 million in the National Library.

Compared to the previous year, the highest increase in book numbers was in the university libraries with 8.7 percent. It was followed by some 5.8 percent increase at public libraries and 4.7 percent increase at the National Library. The increase rate of book numbers at formal and non-formal education institutions’ libraries only reached 0.4 percent.

The National Library witnessed an enormous demand in 2021. The number of registered members at the National Library increased by 8.1 percent compared to the previous year and reached 136,120.

“The number of non-book materials in the National Library increased by 3.5 percent compared to the previous year and became 195,568,” TÜİK noted.

When determining the university libraries, the institution said, “There are 612 university libraries across Turkey, of which 464 were state and 148 were private universities.”

“The number of e-books in university libraries decreased by 3.9 percent compared to the previous year and became some 93.6 million,” said TÜİK and added: “While the number of registered members of the university increased by 2.3 percent to 3.6 million, the number of non-book materials increased by 3.9 percent and reached nearly 1.4 million.”

The number of people benefiting from public libraries increased by 21 percent in 2021 and reached 15.7 million.

“The number of registered members in public libraries increased by 10.4 percent compared to the previous year and reached 4.9 million, while the number of materials lent by libraries increased by 23.9 percent to some 7.5 million,” the institution remarked.

As a summary, TÜİK said, “The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced in 2020-21 was seen in the statistics related to users in the study of library statistics.”