Bilkent University Library is totally committed to meeting the scholarly and information needs of
the Bilkent community, both students and faculty, as well as external library users, by supporting
and facilitating all pedagogical and scientific research activities. The Main Campus Library, housed
in its own four-storey building at the center of the Main Campus, is open from 8:30 to 23:30 weekdays;
from 9:00 to 23:30 on weekends. The East Campus Library is open from 8:30 to 17:00 weekdays. Changes
in opening hours for final exam periods, holidays, and summer are announced accordingly.
Bilkent Library was the first Turkish university library to offer its users automated services
through an integrated computer system. The system meets the needs of the 21st century library and
its users. Search and discovery tools can manage and present library resources of all types and
formats, and give users the power to discover the library collection in a single interface. It
provides access to the online public access catalog (OPAC) for all readers using computer terminals
within the libraries and elsewhere on campus, as well as for researchers worldwide with internet
access. There are also a total of 35 computers with internet access in the Reference and Current
Periodicals Rooms, as well as in the East Campus Library, for the purpose of searching e-resources
and browsing the internet. Circulation of the collection is also automated. Wireless internet access
is available in both libraries.
The library collection contains over 2.5 million items, including more than 527,000 printed books
and 1,781,00 electronic books. The Library subscribes to 186 print journals, mostly from the USA and
Europe, and provides electronic access to over 93,500 e-journals. $3 million is spent each year on
databases, books, journals, and other resources, including DVDs and VCDs, maps, microforms, CD-ROMs,
music scores, and sound recordings. The Library makes over 255 databases available online, which
provide access to both citations and the full texts of journal articles, conference proceedings
and papers, and research material.
Bilkent University Library houses a number of rare and special collections, including the
personal archives and books of Turkish intellectuals and scholars such as Hasan Âli Yücel and
Halil İnalcık. The Library has also been designated by the Library of Congress to receive U.S.
Government documents and makes them available in the USA GPO Collection Room. The Bilkent
University European Union Information Center was established in 2001 with the status of a
full EUI serving as a depository for European Commission publications and World Bank regional publications
Materials of special interest to students include the "easy reading" section. The newspaper collection
includes leading foreign newspapers. Daily newspapers and popular magazines from all over the world can
be read online through various subscription databases such as the Financial Times, the Economist,
PressReader, OverDrive, etc.
In addition to its physical collections, the library maintains a digital institutional repository (BUIR) that brings together the academic output of Bilkent University, including theses, dissertations, scholarly articles, conference papers, and research data.
Each faculty of Bilkent University has its own dedicated librarian who is responsible for supporting
the teaching, learning, and research needs of students and academic staff. These information specialists
are equipped with access to information and provide a link between the faculties and the Library.
The duties of the faculty librarians include: developing the library collection to align with academic
and research priorities; determining the information needs of users; and guiding them to make the best
use of the library resources and services through information literacy instruction. The Library offers
information literacy sessions, orientation programs, and in person research consultations both in
English and Turkish to help users develop effective research strategies.
Reciprocal lending-borrowing agreements with a number of Ankara-area universities make it
possible for Bilkent faculty members to borrow books from those libraries as well. Additionally,
Bilkent University Library has Inter Library Loan (ILL) services for graduate students and
faculty in order to supply resources from all around the world.
The Main Campus Library also houses an Art Gallery, with exhibitions running throughout
the semester, and where regular musical performances and academic lectures are held. In order
to make studying and research more pleasant, there are two cafes in the Main Campus Library.
In addition, a stationary is available. The Library communicates all news and announcements
through the library website, BAIS e-mail, Bilkent News, and social media such as X (former Twitter),
Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Flickr.
Further information about the Library and its collection can be found at:
www.library.bilkent.edu.tr.
