The Library of Abandoned Books

An incredible new library has opened inTurkey. Local sanitation workers, who spent months collecting abandoned books from the streets, established the library to be used by themselves and their families. As the collection grew, however, word spread throughout the community, and locals began to donate books that they would have otherwise thrown away. The Sanitation Department decided to open the library up to the public. “In the past, I wished that I had a library in my house. Now we have a library here. I want to read all the books,” Serhat Baytemur, a 32-year-old sanitation worker, said. “On the one hand, there were those who were leaving these books on the streets. On the other hand, others were looking for these books.We started to discuss the idea of creating a library from these books. And when everyone supported it, this project started.” Now, the library has a collection of over 6,000 books ranging from literature to non-fiction, with a popular kids’ section featuring comic books, and an entire section devoted to scientific research as well. There are also several books available in English and French for visitors. A previously empty brick factory located at the Sanitation Department’s headquarters now houses the abandoned book library. The building features long corridors, making it an ideal space for a library. The city government also hires a full-time librarian to manage the library. “When we first began, we really had a lot of shelves but not so many books. I actually was a bit nervous as I feared we wouldn’t be able to fill the shelves. But then we saw how quickly they were filled and now we can’t even keep up,” an officer said. The library is particularly popular among cyclists who rest there for a cup of tea and a quick read after cycling the nearby valley.