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 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 weekends.
The East Campus branch 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
the users
the power to discover the library collection in a single interface.
It provides the use of an online public access catalog to all readers with
access to computer terminals both in the libraries and elsewhere on campus
as well as to researchers, any place in the world, with access to the
internet. There are also 33 computers with internet access in the Reference
and Current Periodicals Rooms 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
518,000 printed books and 1,500,000 electronic books. The library subscribes to 216
print journals mostly from the USA and Europe and
provides electronic access to over 100,000 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 250 databases available online,
which provide access to both citations and the full texts of journal
articles, conference proceedings and papers and research material.
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 specialist are equipped with access to
information and provide a link between the faculties and Library. The duties of
the faculty librarians include: to determine the information needs of users;
to show users how to get the best out of the collection and library services; and to
develop the library collection.
Bilkent University Library has been designated by the Library of
Congress to receive U.S. Government documents and makes them available in
the Official Publications Room. The Bilkent
University European Union Information Center opened 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 as online through various subscribed databases such as PressReader, OverDrive, Financial Times, The Economist etc.
In addition, a stationery is available in the library.
Reciprocal lending-borrowing agreements with a number of Ankara-area
universities make it possible for Bilkent graduate students and faculties to
borrow books from those libraries as well.
Additionally, Bilkent University Library has Inter Library Loan (ILL) services for
the same group in order to supply resources from all around the world.
Orientation tours of the Bilkent University Library are conducted on
request in English and Turkish.
The Main 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 Main
Library. The Library communicates all news and announcements through the university website,
BAIS e-mail, Bilkent News, and social media such as X (former Twitter), Instagram, Linkedln, Facebook and Flickr.
Further information about the Library and its collection can be found at:
www.library.bilkent.edu.tr.
