Türkiye’deki Halk Kütüphanesi Sisteminin Değerlendirilmesi ve Bir Ulusal Halk Kütüphanesi Stratejisi Önerisi.

Abstract

This study focused on The National Strategy for Public Library of the Turkey. The new social structure called the information society, has been forcing public libraries to change. In Turkey, as in the whole world, public libraries have to review their services and structural components during the transition to the information society. This new situation has made it necessary to strategically address the issue of public libraries and the creation of a national strategy for the public library. Three main approaches have been used in conducting the thesis. According to the first approach which is information society context for public libraries, projections on the future of public libraries will only be possible by presenting the paradigm and parameters of the information society in the best way. According to the second approach which is national context approach, the relationship between major policy documents and public libraries should be examined in order to prepare a national strategy for public libraries in Turkey. Finally, a national public library strategy cannot be prepared without cooperation. In this process, stakeholders should be identified, their opinions should be obtained and these opinions should be analyzed. The hypothesis of the research is determined as follows: 'Public libraries in Turkey lacks a national strategy, policy and system which will provide the basis for the process of fulfilling its functions in the context of information society. The aim of this study is to develop a national strategy model and a proposal for public libraries that taking into account the conditions in Turkey, developed in accordance with the aims and objectives in accordance with the parameters of the information society, created using universal strategies and principles supported by action plans, evaluating the public library system in Turkey. Descriptive method was used in the research. As data collection techniques, literature review was utilized, library statistics, library activity reports and legislation were examined, semi-structured interview was conducted. In the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 experts, practitioners, managers and academicians who were identified as stakeholders. Institutions associated with public libraries and contributing to the preparation of a national public library strategy were included in the semi-structured interview. Then, experts, managers, academicians or representatives who work in these institutions and who can express their opinions in relation to the public library strategy are identified. Stakeholders were asked 28 questions within the scope of the interview. The literature was used for the interview questions and it was prepared in a content that could obtain the data needed to form the content of a national public library strategy document. The interview questions were designed to collect data on the following topics: the relationship between the change in the information society and the public library institution, contemporary functions of public libraries, the need for strategies on public libraries at the national level, strategic approaches to public libraries, responsibility of the strategy, current situation analysis of public libraries. The interviews were first recorded, then deciphered and categorized into a table format. The findings obtained through the interpretation of the tables are presented under common headings. This thesis consists of five main chapters including introduction, national public library strategies in the world, public library strategy in Turkey, findings and evaluation, conclusion and recommendations. As a result, in the national public library strategies in the world, it has been observed that public libraries increasingly continue their traditional responsibilities in the context of education, training and research. The relationship of public libraries with society, their benefits to society and their contribution to civil values are constantly emphasized. It has proven to be a need for a strategy on a national scale to manage public libraries in a planned manner, to provide top managers tips on processes and objectives, to ensure efficient use of resources, to ensure that libraries develop simultaneously and as a whole, to raise awareness on the public and senior decision-makers in public libraries in Turkey. In the recommendations section of the thesis, apart from general recommendations, has presented two important proposals: "National Strategy for Public Library of Turkey Development and Implementation Model Proposal" and “National Strategy for Public Library of Turkey Proposal".